Until the Darkness
by The Verbena
Summary: Halloween 2000. Strange happenings start with the disappearance of Dave. A group of college friends struggle in the wake of realizing new powers. How will they cope with a new world while dealing with everyday life as well as an entity known as Heylel
1. Prologue

p align=centerPrologue  
  
The sun glowed brightly over the campus of Bowling Green State University the morning before Halloween. The students, some of whom dressed in costumes hastily thrown together the night before, slowly made their way to class, looking forward to promises of a night full of drinking and partying. It was just another normal day.  
  
David woke with a searing burst of air, panting rapidly. The dreams were back again. They usually stopped occurring everytime he came back to the life-sucking cesspool people loved to refer to as Bowling Green. But last night, his dreams were unusually vivid. Reluctantly, he draped his feet of the ledge of his bed and wearily scratched his head, recalling the details of his disturbing dream.  
  
There he stood, alone on a desolate, dry plain. Turbulent, icy winds slashed unforgivingly across his face; while the sky above was a volatile shade of crimson, relentlessly swirling in all directions as violet bolts of lightning split the clouds. Dave looked around, trying to make sense of the plain only to find the same endless stretch of cracked, umber ground running off into infinity. Just as he was about to move, a blinding flash seared his vision, sending him jarring back into reality.  
  
Dave winced, remembering clearly the feeling of that last painful blow of the dream. He had already been disturbed enough for one day. Reluctantly, he stood up and started to gather his clothing and books for the day. Just as he finished dressing and had started to style his hair, the phone suddenly started ringing. Dave jumped in surprise and quickly darted over to snatch up the receiver before it rang again.  
  
"H-hello?" he whispered, looking over at his roommate's side to see if the ringing woke him. All Dave saw was an empty bed littered with dirty shirts and boxes. He didn't come home last night.  
  
"Hello?" Dave repeated louder this time.  
  
"Dave!" chimed the voice on the other side of the line. It was Lissa, one of his friends from across campus.  
  
"Hey Lissa, how's it going?"  
  
"Not bad, not bad… just calling to see if you'd like to come trick-or- treating with me and a few of my residents tonight."  
  
Dave hesitated a moment in apprehension, thinking about Lissa's offer. His mind kept wandering back to the dream, shoving the want to go out towards the back of his mind.  
  
"Well, I don't know…" he began.  
  
"C'mon Dave, it'll be fun! Just think of all the candy you'll get!"  
  
"Sure," Dave sighed. "I'll go."  
  
Lissa happily cheered, "Great, come on over to my room at about six tonight. We'll get some dinner then meet up with the students that are going and leave by about six-thirty."  
  
Dave rolled his eyes, "Okay Lissa, I'll see you then. Bye."  
  
He hung up the phone and quickly finished his hair and tossed his books into his back. Shortly after, he went over to his closet, slid the pasty brown door aside and started rummaging through a pile of clothes on the closet floor. After a couple of minutes, he quietly cheered, standing back up, bringing a small pile of shimmering, blue cloth. It was what he tried to make his costume. He designed it so it would make him look like a knight from one of his favorite video games. Instead, it looked like a mangled glam-rocker's outfit.  
  
"Maybe being humiliated while acting like a child will keep my mind off of that damn dream," he sighed, stuffing the blue costume into his black shoulder bag. Shortly after, he flipped the bag up along with a second bookbag and hurried out the door, pulling it shut with a loud click.  
  
p align=center* * *  
  
The day trudged on, making it finally to the last ten minutes of Dave's final class: Social Psychology. He had struggled to remain awake throughout all his classes. So far, he was successful, but the relentless droning of the professor's voice was making staying awake almost unbearable.  
  
Slowly, his eyelids started dropping lower and lower. He shifted around in his seat and quietly yawned, trying desperately to renew interest in the lecture. Finally, boredom won over, as Dave's eyes closed while his head remained propped up on his elbow.  
  
He blinked, and came to back on the dirt plane of last night's dream. The crimson sky still churned and boiled relentlessly as lightning arched on down towards the dead ground. The storm gained strength, hurling increasingly more bolts of energy showering down upon Dave. Again, another bolt slashed his senses, deafening him. He fell to his knees, clasping his ears, yowling in agony.  
  
Dave…  
  
Dave spun around in all directions, searching for the bodiless voice. "What? Who are you?" he shouted out across the plain.  
  
The time has come Dave…time for you to see the truth.  
  
The voice aqueously reverberated across Dave's ears. It seemed so relaxing, yet unnerving at the same time. Dave slowly grinned as the tension drained out of his body. He sat down and started to look around; expecting something new to come rushing out at him. Instead, an overwhelming urge to sleep drifted silently across his eyelids…  
  
He blurred back into consciousness with a startled jump in his seat, which scattered his books and papers onto the floor. Dave blinked a couple of times as he glanced around the classroom. It was completely vacant.  
  
"At least I didn't totally embarrass myself…" Dave sighed as he leaned over to pick up his notebook.  
  
He looked up at the clock on the wall... it was six-fifteen. Dave screeched exasperatingly as he grabbed his bag and rushed out the door. He started out on a brisk walk, picking up to a slow jog as he dashed down the northernmost stairwell of Olscamp Hall. He bolted through the doors out into the bright daylight of the early evening. Suddenly, Dave stopped abruptly on the front steps, gazing out across the graveyard.  
  
His eyes trailed up the desolate hill of dulled, cracked and blackened monoliths, thrusting skyward, praising the finality of death to the top of the hill. There stood the mausoleum, the lowly hermit-house of the graveyard, which had attracted Dave's attention for so many nights since he first set foot on campus.  
  
He stood aghast at what he noticed. The door that had been sealed for ages behind a thorough coat of rust on the latch and hinges was now swinging open in the early evening breeze. Dave earlier had a feeling that something horrid had been bound there and now, it had been released upon the earth.  
  
Dave shook his head, sighed, drew his bookbag up tighter against his back, and started running towards Lissa's dorm. He stumbled up the front steps of MacDonald North exhausted and out of breath. He yanked open the door and started to head inside. He couldn't believe he had slept so long.  
  
"Gods, you're such an idiot!" he scolded himself as he bolted through the second floor doors.  
  
Finally, with one last huff of air, he came to a stop right in front of Lissa's door. He carefully knocked on the door so as not to disturb or crumple any of the decorations that littered its face. Several seconds later, the door swung inward into a jumbled amalgam of collectibles, memorabilia and clothes. Lissa gruffly stared out at Dave from behind the dark green hood of her druid's costume tunic. She impatiently switched the ornate walking staff into her left hand.  
  
"Dave!" she happily shouted out into the hall. "Where have you been?!? We were just about to leave without you."  
  
"Um, yeah…" Dave apologized as he tossed his bag onto the bed and quickly started changing into his costume. "Sorry about that. I kinda fell asleep in my last class and didn't wake up until just a few minutes ago."  
  
Lissa paused and checked her clock. "Your class ended an hour ago. You're gonna need a better excuse than that."  
  
"I don't know what happened, sorry I was late… let's just drop it." Dave rambled uncomfortably, avoiding eye contact.  
  
"Okay fine Dave…" she sighed. "Just change into your costume, we need to get going."  
  
Dave nodded and slipped into Lissa's room and shut the door. Within minutes, Dave was out of his usual tee shirt and khakis and into what appeared to be a punk rocker obsessed with the color blue. His outfit was adorned with a silky, metallic blue headband and cape cropped off with silvery bits of duct tape.  
  
"Do I really have to go out dressed like this?" Dave whined. "I look like a retard."  
  
"You look fine, Dave, now come on… we're leaving."  
  
Dave raced after Lissa, slamming her door behind him. He caught up just as they reached the lobby. Lissa hurried over and greeted the two other students that had come to tag along. Both were ladies, one dressed as a clown, the other Dave could only reason was a fifties sock-hop chick that was the victim of a vampire.  
  
"Dave," Lissa said, turning back around towards him, motioning towards the clown. "This is Lynette."  
  
Dave half-smiled; feigning interest while the clown enthusiastically waved at him.  
  
"And this is Megan," she added, pointing to the vampire victim.  
  
Dave just blankly nodded. Neither of the two was of genuine interest to him. Lynette, the clown, was incredibly short, Dave wagered she was barely over four feet tall. Even in her frilly and padded clown suit, she still looked almost stick-thin. Megan on the other hand was a bit taller than Lynette was but almost to contrast, she was much more heavy-set. Her weight problem seemed quite obvious to Dave by the way the seams of her dress struggled to hold her stomach in.  
  
"Pleased to meet you," Dave half enthusiastically said.  
  
"Great!" Lissa smiled. "Let's get going. We have lost time to make up for."  
  
Dave silently sighed as he tucked the blue pillowcase he was going to use under his belt and wandered off behind the group; his mind constantly returning towards the dream.  
  
* * *  
  
Dave, Lissa and the rest of the group arrived back at the front steps of MacDonald Quadrangle. Everyone was remarkably happy and amazed at the haul of candy they managed to earn from the townspeople. Dave, Lissa, and Megan all contently strolling, idly chatting, and enjoying a few pieces of candy; while Lynette strained, trying to keep up with the group while dragging her overflowing pillowcase of goodies.  
  
"Well, I guess this is your stop," Dave said to Lissa and the others. "I should be heading home, I have some stuff I need to do before I have to work tonight."  
  
Lissa set down her bag and ran over to hug Dave, "Oh, okay Dave. Hope you had fun."  
  
"I did, don't worry about it," Dave reassured her as he turned and started to walk away. "Thanks for a great time. Happy Halloween."  
  
Dave started heading down Ridge Street towards Kreischer Quadrangle. He sighed in relief, happy to be away from the two immature girls he was forced to endure that evening. He looked at his watch; it was about eleven- thirty. Dave reached into his pillowcase and fished out a candy. He unwrapped the round, cherry red ball and popped it into his mouth. His mind then started to wander off to earlier that day. He remembered what he saw as he was running out of Olscamp. How did someone manage to pry the mausoleum door open; Dave now wondered if it still was open. Maybe it was just his imagination.  
  
Dave walked over towards the cemetery. He stood against the westernmost side of the fence, gazing in between the cast iron bars into the dark stillness within. He wasn't able to see much, just a few gravestones. As he tried to focus his vision a bit more on the mausoleum, he briefly saw a faint flicker of light rise up from the ground and float off towards the center.  
  
Curiosity settled over Dave like a thick blanket. He clenched his fists, turned and hurried off towards the front gates. Within a few minutes of jogging, he arrived at the gate. He didn't notice much activity on the streets, maybe an occasional car passing by every ten minutes or so. He took a deep breath and took a tentative step inside. Nothing jumped out of the nearby bushes to maul him. Dave wiped his brow and continued on in past rows upon rows of gravestones, past the tool shed and on up the hill.  
  
Warily, he scurried between the gravemarkers up towards the mound of earth near the mausoleum. Dave was just about to reach the top when a shrill cold sensation raced up his spine. Dave looked around, but was unable to see what had caused this.  
  
Dave…  
  
He quickly jerked around with a sudden gasp. Every nerve in his body was on fire. Sweat beaded his forehead as he expectantly searched around, looking, waiting for something. Dave's eyes scanned the plots one by one, trying to make sense of it all. Just as he was about to give up, his eyes settled on it… something. He raced over to see what it was.  
  
Settled over by the far base of a gravestone several feet away, Dave spotted a subtle glow. He crept up on it and knelt down to get a closer look. There on the ground was a small glowing ball of white light. It was sourceless and opaque. Dave couldn't see what the light was surrounding. He reached down and cautiously touched the light. It flickered briefly as his finger made contact. Dave quickly jerked his hand back, gasping in surprise as it continued to faintly flicker until the light dimmed down to nothing. Dave blinked, readjusting to the darkness; now, before his eyes sat a small, silvery disc.  
  
Dave quickly lifted the disc up and slipped it into the palm of his hand. It seemed quite odd to Dave how it perfectly fit with the contours of his palm. He slowly traced over the finely etched lines and engravings on its surface. The pattern on the forward face seemed almost familiar. All the lines formed an intricate interlinking combination of shapes. Dave ran his finger over the centermost circle, then moved out to a square, then out to another larger circle. Around the edge of the larger circle were two words, which were etched in very ornate script.  
  
"Agla…" Dave phonetically pronounced. "Tetragrammation…"  
  
The pattern glowed for a brief instant as Dave's entire being shivered and quaked uncontrollably. He froze. His eyes darted around, searching for something his eyes just couldn't see.  
  
Behind you, childe…  
  
Instinctively, Dave jerked his head around, gaining a clear view of the area in front of the tool shed.  
  
"Oh shit…" Dave trembled as he stood upright and started to run towards the entrance. Dave had little time to really see just how many rough, Italian men dressed in trenchcoats had just exited the shed. He was only able to see light glint off of at least three sharp blades and two polished gun barrels. He resisted the urge to scream as he bounded across the hills, dodging between gravestones.  
  
"Come back here boy," Dave heard one of the men call out from behind him.  
  
The voices of his pursuers already started to sound distant as he raced as fast as he could across the muddy grass. He slowed down to look behind him. Dave smirked. Apparently a couple of them had tripped and fallen while the others stopped to help them up. Dave sighed in relief and turned back to leave the jokers behind. As he made it around, and was about to take the first step, he noticed something new blocking his path.  
  
"Damn it!" Dave cursed. "This can't be fucking happening!"  
  
Before him stood nine skeletons, each one smelling of fresh earth, from which they had just risen. Each one of them shambled at him in the tattered remnants of their burial gowns and suits. The air reeked of rotting flesh emanating from small bits of flesh and muscle that strained to stay attached to the bone. One got closer and took and awkward swipe at Dave. The swipe barely missed as Dave wrenched himself sideways, his cape being ripped off his shoulders instead.  
  
Dave wildly swung at the skeleton with a loud thunk that drove it backwards a couple feet. It collided with its nearby neighbor, which stopped the other from falling. It regained its bearing and the group continued to swarm him.  
  
Now is no the time to fight childe, run…  
  
"I sure fucking hope you're right!" Dave roared, harrying himself into the first monster.  
  
He screeched as he strained against its weight. Dave's skin was perspiring and his heart pulsed in sync with every heated burst from his nerves. Suddenly, Dave's expression blanched from his face as the skeleton toppled backwards. Dave raced forward, unaware of the bullets zipping past him. The gunmen shouted as Dave lurched onward through the gate, the rest of the skeletons barely a foot behind him.  
  
Dave raced across the empty road, followed by his pursuers. Instinctively, he dodged in and out of the rows of student cars.  
  
Just a bit further…  
  
Sweat dripped from his brow as he made it to the center of the lot. He turned around and his legs locked. A sharp wind kicked up nearby debris and swirled the clouds into the beginning of a whirlpool in the sky. Dave groaned as his body lifted up, his feet no longer touching the ground.  
  
"What the fuck?" one of the trenchcoats yelled over the wind. "Kill the bastard! Fire! Fire!"  
  
The jarring barrage of bullets speeding towards Dave temporarily drowned out the growing roar of the wind. A serene look fell over Dave's face as the swirl of clouds completed the nautilus pattern.  
  
Now is the time, Dave… Awaken!  
  
Dave screamed out loud as he felt every fiber in his body ignited as the world went light and black at the same time and fell unconscious. 


	2. Chapter 1: A New Beginning

Chapter One: A New Beginning  
  
Jon had been sitting around, focusing all of his attention on the computer screen. His character, Kerjak, had finally reached level forty and he now was about to face the final boss of the game when the screen went black. The world outside his window echoed of several harsh thunderclaps followed by the screaming howl of a strong wind.  
  
"Fuck!" he bitterly shouted, slamming down his mouse.  
  
Jon looked over at his digital clock. Its face was as blank as his computer screen. He turned and looked at his door. No light shown from under the crack between the floor. All that could be heard was the whooping and rampaging of the jocks on his floor, racing around. Jon silently growled, cursing them as he stood up, stretched and headed over to the door.  
  
With a quick twist of the cold knob, he swung the door open. "Shut up!" he shouted into the pitch-black hall.  
  
He stepped out into the hall and slammed his door behind him. The roar in the halls was silenced just long enough for the shrill cry of several sirens sounding in unison to be heard over the deafening winds.  
  
"Tornado!" a voice yelled from down the hall.  
  
Everyone in the hall blindly stampeded towards the shelter in the campus tunnels beneath the dormitory. Anything slower than the mob was trampled underfoot as the panic spread throughout the hallways. Jon sighed and allowed himself to be swept along down towards the stairs. They scurried blindly down the darkened second floor steps and out into the lobby where the crowd spread out some. Jon slipped out from his place within and stood there in the lobby, waiting. Seconds passed and the first recognizable face that came into view was one of his friends, Beth. She groggily stumbled along with the crowd while she attempted to bundle her curled auburn hair beneath a blue handkerchief.  
  
"Beth!" Jon shouted about the roar of the crowd.  
  
Beth hazily looked around for whoever was yelling her name in the darkness. After a brief, futile search of the oncoming crowd, she continued down into the darkened tunnels. Jon growled and raced off after Beth. After dodging through the crowd, he finally managed to catch up with her just after she made it though the door.  
  
"Beth!" he shouted near her, almost in her ear.  
  
Beth screeched and jumped up in the air. She gruffly turned around and repeatedly smashed him on the shoulder with her fist, "Stop that asshole!" she yelped.  
  
She sighed, took a few paces further into the tunnels and caught up with Jon. Everyone from the Quadrangle squeezed down into the darkened corridor to the point where students had to forcibly shove their way in. Jon and Beth were pressed almost together when they heard a faint rumble that seemed to shake their very bodies to the core over several piercing screams. Then it was over; the sirens died down, as did the roar of the crowd until it was just silence intermittently broken by occasional coughs.  
  
Beth just stared at Jon in silence, her heart pounding form the fear that was about to flare out her throat. Before either could speak, an 'all clear' was shouted over the crowd, through the darkness. There was a sharp rejoice as the crowd blindly stumbled back towards their rooms. Jon and Beth lingered behind, letting the crowd float around them. Within minutes, they were alone again.  
  
"You okay?" Jon asked.  
  
Beth nodded, "I'm okay. Just a bit startled."  
  
"Yeah it is a bit fucked up… a tornado on Halloween. Who'd have thought of it?"  
  
Beth started to open her mouth when the lights violently flickered. Seconds later, everything whirred back to life as power returned. They both smiled and Jon raced towards the stairs. Beth blinked a couple of times, thinking, then took off racing after her friend. She caught up with him just as he had summoned the dank, musty cargo elevator.  
  
"What the fuck you doing Corbin?" she panted, joining him inside.  
  
"Think about it," Jon started as he pushed the button for the third floor.  
  
The steel gates of the elevator closed and the elevator jerked into motion, starting its climb.  
  
"What? What am I supposed to think about?"  
  
"Spontaneous weird weather," he continued. "Doesn't that seem just the slightest bit abnormal?"  
  
Beth nodded, "And so… we're going to the third floor of Batchelder because…?"  
  
"Who lives on the third floor and knows plenty about abnormality?"  
  
"Dave," both answered almost simultaneously.  
  
The elevator jerked to a stop as the gates retracted. Jon pushed the exterior door open and stepped out. Beth followed along on his heels as they wound their way around to the far end of the third floor, until they made it to a plain door with the number 345 on the blue and silver door plate.  
  
Jon loudly knocked on the door, while Beth leaned up against the wall. Minutes passed, nobody came to the door. Jon knocked harder as the wood dully thunked and the dry erase board rattled, dropping the precariously perched marker on the floor. They waited longer and still no answer.  
  
"Dammit!" Jon pounded the door one last time. "Dave, where the hell are you?"  
  
Beth bent over, picking up the marker and began writing on the board. In bold, blue letters, she wrote out 'Dave, where the hell are you?' right underneath Dave's usual 'The deity is…' message.  
  
"He's probably still out," Beth said, putting the marker back.  
  
"I don't think so," Jon retorted. "If Dave went out tonight, he would've been back in his room by now, especially because of the weird weather, not to mention the tornado."  
  
Beth nodded, "Well, you suppose we should go out and look for him?"  
  
Jon nodded. "Yep, let's get going."  
  
* * *  
  
Jon and Beth had just stepped outside when they encountered another of their friends from their usual gaming squad, Talcott. He had been stumbling aimlessly, surveying the damage the tornado had done. He had been standing by the smoker's wall, just outside the side exit of the dormitory, staring off out at the student recreation center, looking quite upset.  
  
"Talcott!" Beth shouted. "Talcott!"  
  
Talcott jerked around, looking confused, his long, shaggy hair wafting across his face, leaving strands of hair in disheveled mess. Quickly, he spotted the two approaching and goofily smiled, adjusting his glasses. "Oh hi guys," he smiled. "What you guys up to?"  
  
"We're out looking for Dave. What're you doing?"  
  
"Oh he isn't in? Geez," Talcott sighed. "I was just out seeing if the tornado destroyed part of campus."  
  
Beth shifter her eyes, "Okay then… well… you want to help us look for Dave?"  
  
Talcott nodded quickly and hurried over, "Sure, it definitely beats sitting around the room with my roommate. Where should we start looking?"  
  
"Well, knowing Dave and the places he frequents at about midnight… I'd say we check out the graveyard."  
  
They nodded, turned and started up Ridge Street towards the cemetery. Campus was deserted; nobody dared venture outside in fear of more severe weather. The sky was still ominously crimson red as the three made their way past the music education building.  
  
"You know what's odd, guys?" Talcott sharply.  
  
"Besides you?" Beth quipped.  
  
Talcott shook his head, "Yeah, besides me."  
  
"Okay, what is it?"  
  
Talcott pointed to the ground, "Didn't it just rain? Then why aren't there puddles of water on the ground. Heck, the concrete's dry also."  
  
"Shit fuck damn!" Beth shouted. "That ain't normal. Dave's gonna have some explaining to do when he gets back."  
  
"Huh?" Talcott looked at her weirdly.  
  
"Isn't it obvious that Dave caused all of this."  
  
"You gotta be kidding me… it's not that likely that Dave could have caused a tornado. He may be obsessive compulsive enough to mop up all the puddles, but the tornado's pushing it." Talcott sighed as he turned around and started walking away. "We're not going to find him by standing here and talking."  
  
"What's wrong with talking?" Adam asked hurrying to catch up with the group.  
  
"Hi Adam," Talcott said. "There's nothing wrong with talking but we need to be searching for Dave."  
  
"What's happened to him?" Adam asked. "Oh, by the way, this is my sister, Amanda."  
  
Amanda shyly smiled, "Hi."  
  
"Hi Amanda! Don't you live next door to me?" Beth asked, warmly smiling.  
  
She smiled while Jon grinned at her, " We don't know what happened to Dave, but we know he didn't make it back before the tornado."  
  
"Geez, that ain't good," Adam shook his head.  
  
"Of course it isn't," Beth snidely retorted. "We need to get to the cemetery to see if he's there."  
  
"You up for a walk, goob?" he asked his sister.  
  
She politely nodded, "Sure."  
  
The group turned right and made their way towards the graveyard entrance. They had hardly made it past the bus stop when it spontaneously started pouring down rain. Torrents of rain came piledriving down, making it almost impossible to see or walk.  
  
"This is crazy," Talcott shouted over the downpour. "I'm heading back to my room. We can look for Dave in the morning!"  
  
"Yeah, I'd better get my sister back inside also," Adam added.  
  
"I'm still gonna go and look for Dave," Beth yelled and turned and continued onward.  
  
Jon raced to catch up with Beth as the others turned and hurried back towards the dorm. Jon and Beth had barely rounded the next corner and made it into the adjacent parking lot when they noticed a vast pillar of billowing steam rising up from another lot just across the street.  
  
"The fuck," Jon exclaimed. "What the hell is that?"  
  
Both raced across the street to where they were within a couple feet of lot twelve. The air surrounding it was extremely balmy and dense with a strong, pungent smell permeating throughout. What appeared to be a thick cloud of steam rose up from an undiscernable source on the lot's concrete surface.  
  
"The hell is this?" Beth asked.  
  
"I don't know," Jon said, stooping down to get a closer look.  
  
He slowly reached into the fog and downward towards the surface. The steam was extremely hot, though it didn't seem like it was to the point of scalding flesh, but it was getting hotter by the second. Jon screeched and jerked his hand back out of the cloud, "Fuck!"  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"The ground… it's almost as if it's on fire… or melting. The damn thing nearly burned my hand!"  
  
Beth raced over and carefully grabbed his wrist, lifting it up to her face to examine it. Jon's hand now was swollen and beet red. He whimpered softly as Beth lightly touched his knuckles and fingers. She frowned as she silently recited something to herself.  
  
Before Jon could say another word to Beth, they heard another shrill siren cry out from the distance. He jerked his hand back, jumping to his feet and too off running into the cemetery. Beth looked between Jon, the parking lot, and the cemetery, trying to figure out what was going on. She shrugged and ran off after him.  
  
They ran through the entrance gates and in about twenty feet just as the sirens grew louder. Jon raced to a point totally obscured by shadow and stopped. Beth had barely caught up when the sirens came screaming around the corner and into view. Two Bowling Green fire trucks roared up to the lot, just feet from where they were standing. Several firefighters dove out of all sides of the trucks and started their own rainstorm to replace the recently ended one. Beth and Jon slinked off further into the grounds. An eerie silence enveloped the two as they silently crept towards the tool shed. Beth anxiously scanned the ground just a few feet away from the shed.  
  
"Jon!" she gasped, kneeling down and scooped up a pile of tattered, blue fabric.  
  
Jon rushed over to look at it. Apparently, it looked like it was once a silky blue cape edged by strips of duct tape; but now most of it was slashed into long, jagged strips. Beth held up one of the strips by the end and let it unfurl. As it fell downward, a chalky white object fell from the tangles of fabric.  
  
"What's this?" Beth asked as Jon reached down and carefully scooped up the object.  
  
"It… It looks like a complete fingerbone," Jon whispered, holding it up into the light.  
  
"That's pretty fucked up…" Beth added, standing up. "So which grave do you think it came from?"  
  
They both looked around for a disturbed grave. As they eventually wandered back around towards the entrance, they saw piles of dirt that look like they were violently thrust up from the ground near by some shrubs. Jon pulled out his switchblade and sliced some of the earth aside. The soft, dry dirt crumbled apart into a fine, black powder as the blade passed along.  
  
Jon looked up at Beth, who in turn was quickly gazing between the ground, Jon, and the entrance to the graveyard. Beth shrieked loudly as the ground below them suddenly quaked, thrusting several skeletons up into open air. Beth screamed as Jon jumped to his feet, brandishing his knife. The skeletons swarmed in, knocking them quickly unconscious.  
  
* * *  
  
Neek desperately tossed and turned, trying to ignore the persistent rattling knock on her door. She groggily rolled over and peered through hazy eyes at the clock. The digital display blinked six forty-five repeatedly. She silently cursed and rolled into a sitting position at the edge of her bed.  
  
"Who is it?" she whined.  
  
"It's me, Alicia. Open up, I gotta tell you about something weird."  
  
"Can't it wait?"  
  
"No, open up now," Alicia pounded harder on the door.  
  
"Fine, okay… hold on," Neek slumped out of bed and walked over to the door.  
  
With effort, she turned the knob and swung the door open with an audible click of the latch. Alicia stood in the doorway, dressed in her standard baggy white sweatshirt and blue jeans. Her long, wavy blond hair scattered about around her face like lengthy hanging vines.  
  
"So, did you hear?" Alicia excitedly rattled.  
  
"Hear what?" Neek asked, yawning.  
  
"About lot twelve. It's like so totally awesome what happened! You'll absolutely never believe it!"  
  
"Okay, Alicia… calm down and tell me what happened," Neek apathetically stated.  
  
"Lot twelve melted," she hysterically bubbled. "It's now just one big sheet of metal!"  
  
Neek smiles as politely as she could muster, "That's nice, Alicia, thanks for telling me."  
  
She slowly turned around and slammed the door in Alicia's face. "See ya," she smiled and walked over to sit down at her computer desk. She pushed the button on the side of her tower, powering the unit on.  
  
"Damn Alicia," she muttered, watching the boot up screen progress. "Stupid had to wake me up."  
  
Neek continued to mutter to herself as she started to get dressed. She tossed her bedclothes over towards her closet as she began changing into her pants and tee shirt. Just as she had finished tying her last shoelace, her phone rang. She groaned, tromped over toward the phone and answered it."  
  
"Alicia, I…" she began.  
  
"No Neek, it's me, Talcott," the voice spoke from the other end of the line. "Say have you heard about lot twelve?"  
  
"Yeah, Alicia woke me up to annoy me about it."  
  
"Eh, I'm so sorry," Talcott said. "Well, do you plan on going and checking it out? If so, you could join me."  
  
Neek sighed, "Sure, I'll go. Just let me check my e-mail."  
  
"You can't do that, the network's still down."  
  
"Dammit!"  
  
"Don't worry about it, Neek, there'll be plenty of time to veg-out over a computer screen later. I'll meet you down in the lobby in a bit."  
  
Neek hung up the phone and with a long, angry sigh, she quickly shut down the computer. She stood up and shoved the chair hastily back under the desk, grabbed her jacket, and headed out the door. She called the elevator and stepped inside, pushing the button for the ground floor.  
  
Neek stepped out of the elevator and walked out into the lobby area of the Harshman Quadrangle. She peeked into her mailbox to see if anything had came for her. Inside, beside some brightly colored hall reminders, was a small off-white envelope with the name 'Stephanie Hodges' scripted across it in an elegant calligraphic script. Neek cooed happily as she dialed the combination in on her mailbox, opened it and pulled the letter out.  
  
"Hi Neek!" Talcott should from behind Neek.  
  
Neek squealed out loud, jumping several feet into the air. She turned around and took a mock-angry stance at Talcott.  
  
"Jeebus, Talcott," Neek started. "You almost, well… um, don't do that!"  
  
Talcott smirked, "Sorry, I didn't mean it. So… are you ready to go?"  
  
Neek shook her head, "Just a minute, there's this letter that I just got. I want to read it."  
  
She waved the envelope in front of Talcott's face for him to see. It was made from thick, crude card stock. Talcott cooed in wonder as Neek ran her finger under the fold, breaking the ornate, crimson wax seal.  
  
"Now who'd have gone and done all that just to send you a letter?" Talcott asked as Neek pulled out a neatly folded sheet of stationary. Slowly, she started to unfold the paper and look over the neatly penned script.  
  
"Dear Miss Stephanie Hodges," Neek read out loud. "Salutations, fair lady, I should hope this note finds you in wondrous health and vigor. I have written this note to formally invite you to a meeting at my place regarding the potential future of you, your friends, and of this area. If this does interest you, milady, please come alone to the olde schoolhouse on the university's campus on the eve of the second of November and we shall speak further of this matter. Be not afraid childe, you have nothing to fear in me. I await our meeting. Cordially yours, Sister Augustine DuMonte"  
  
Neek slowly folded the letter back and looked at Talcott with a confused expression on her face. Talcott shrugged back with a bewildered look, "I don't know about that… she sounds pretty weird. Do you plan on going?"  
  
"I don't think it'd be a good idea," Neek said. "For all I know she could be a homicidal maniac."  
  
"Well, if that's the way you see it… though I think you should go. She sounded genuinely serious."  
  
"But still… there's possible danger," Neek nervously scratched her head and adjusted her shirt. "I know that we could probably beat up a nun if she tries anything funny, but where's the discretion? It'd be totally idiotic for me to go alone."  
  
Neek continued to fidget anxiously, rapidly spinning the combination lock knob on her mailbox and looked up at Talcott. Talcott stood, staring right at Neek and after a couple seconds, he abruptly turned and headed for the door. Neek sighed and hurried up to keep up with him.  
  
"Talcott, where are we going?" She nervously asked. "The note said that this meeting doesn't happen until after darkness."  
  
"We're going to check out lot twelve, you did say you wanted to go there, right?"  
  
Neek scratched her head, "Oh yeah, that's right. I suppose we could. Besides, it'll give us a break from hearing Alicia's mouth from down the hall."  
  
* * *  
  
The campus had been relatively deserted that day since all Wednesday classes had been cancelled due to last night's storm and power outage. Talcott and Neek leisurely walked across the squishy grass surrounding the parking lots until they came into view of lot twelve. The entire lot had been fenced off by bright yellow police tape. Despite the tape, students had cut one of the lengths down and were now playing on the surface.  
  
Talcott and Neek rushed up to observe. They watched as several groups dashed across the multi-colored tye-dyed metal surface of the parking lot.  
  
"Oh my…" Neek said, looking out across the parking lot. "What melted all the cars?"  
  
"Something very hot," Talcott bluntly stated.  
  
"Well duh," Neek rolled her eyes. "But what could produce enough heat to melt entire lots full of cars?"  
  
Talcott shrugged and pointed across the surface. "I'm not sure what could, but I'll bet that it stood there."  
  
Talcott stepped over the fallen ribbon and out onto the painted sheet of metal. Neek giddily skidded across the wet surface right behind him. They weaved in between groups of students running around, throwing footballs, and just standing there until they reached the area Talcott had pointed out. At the very center of the lot was an unscathed patch of grass and mud. Imprinted in it were two singed footprints. Both stooped lower to get a better look.  
  
"Geebus, guess you were right Talcott."  
  
Talcott shook his head wildly, "Yeah, I know… still, what did this?"  
  
They slowly stood up after a few more minutes of staring at ground and made their way back past the crowds, on towards the edges of the lot. As they passed two athletic men pitching a football past each other, Neek stumbled, falling to one knee."  
  
"Ooh!" Neek yelped, her hands shot down to clasp around her knee. "Stupid ground!"  
  
Talcott darted over to her side, "You okay Neek?"  
  
She nodded and point to a bulge on the surface of the lot, "Yeah, think I tripped over that."  
  
Talcott scooted over and examined it a bit closer. It was a rather large and oblong mound in the metal-paved surface with two gaping holes in the upper central side of it. Talcott ran his hand over it, feeling the contours of bump on the parking lot's surface.  
  
"It kinda looks like a skull of some sort. Looks like the poor guy was here when the lot was melted down, he probably was covered by the metal," Talcott said after some deliberation. "You can almost make out what should be the jawline and the eyes."  
  
Neek scooted back away form the skull, "Poor guy."  
  
Talcott nodded. "Though I wonder how and why he didn't get melted down in the extreme heat."  
  
Talcott stood up and helped Neek back to her feet. They both stared at the skull and slowly stepped away from it. Just for a second as Talcott was about to turn around, he noticed a small bright yellow lizard's head sneak into the corner of his vision. He blinked a couple of times and turned around and caught up with Neek. As they continued, Neek continued to scour the surface for any other body parts that might have been covered up by the metal. They had just about made it to the edge of the parking lot when they bumped into Adam and Amanda.  
  
"Hi Adam," Talcott warmly smiled, absentmindedly thinking about the lizard. "Hi Amanda!"  
  
Both of them smiled and nodded at Talcott.  
  
"Hi Neek," Adam said, gesturing towards Amanda. "This is my sister, Amanda."  
  
Neek nodded, "Hi Amanda. What brings you two out here?"  
  
"We were on our way into town, but we thought we'd stop and see the disaster that is now lot twelve," Adam replied.  
  
Talcott quickly nodded, "I actually also wanted to go into town to see if the storm did any damage there."  
  
Adam turned and started walking off towards town, "Okay then, you're welcome to come along also."  
  
"You think we should see if Jon or Beth want to come along?" Talcott asked. "Besides, we could also check to see if they found Dave."  
  
Adam stopped, turned around and looked at Talcott, "Good idea, I guess we can do that, but we have to hurry because I have an Environmental Action Group tonight at seven."  
  
"Okay then, let's hurry."  
  
They started off towards the dorms, making it within minutes. Amanda opened up the door for the group as they hurried up the stars to the second floor of Ashley Hall. Talcott rapped soundly on Jon's door. Minutes passed and nobody answered the door. Adam just shrugged and started walking.  
  
"Should we check Beth's room, Goob?" Adam asked his sister.  
  
Amanda shrugged, "I guess so."  
  
The group made their way around the dorm hallways and down to the first floor of Batchelder Hall. Amanda led them up to Beth's door and knocked lightly on the door. Silence echoed back Amanda's knock. Adam knocked harder on the door. Still no answer.  
  
"Good, both Jon and Beth seem to be missing," Adam sighed. "Well, I guess we should be going."  
  
* * *  
  
After about twenty minutes of walking, Adam, Amanda, Neek, and Talcott arrived at the intersection of Wooster and Main Street. They looked both ways up and down the strip. Nothing in the entire downtown was harmed by the storm. Talcott sighed; wishing that something had been destroyed in the storm. Adam led the group up to the corner and stopped, turning around to address the others.  
  
"So where do you guys want to go?" Adam said. "Looks like nothing's closed because of last night's weather."  
  
"Well, I'd like to look over the book stacks at Pauper's Bookstore," Talcott said.  
  
Need nodded in agreement, "I would also."  
  
"Me too," Amanda added.  
  
"Sounds good to me. Let's get going," Adam turned to his right and started heading down the street.  
  
They made their way down Main Street until they arrived outside an old, secluded brick building wedged into a row of aging businesses. Adam stepped up and opened the door into the store as the bell attached to the door resounded as the door clapped against it. Everyone stepped into the store, deeply inhaling the ancient, stale air.  
  
As soon as everyone was inside the door, they split up, strolling down different rows. Adam browsed over some of the classic literature and anarchist's pamphlets while Amanda searched for the store's meager occult section. Talcott and Neek went down on row, then regrouped as both approached the bookcases that contained thousands of old fiction novels. Neek picked a book off the shelf and started to page through it. Meanwhile, Talcott browsed over the entire shelf, occasionally stopping to look at the books binding, but not for too long. He soon browsed over the entire fiction section and crossed over into the mythology.  
  
Talcott looked for any books that either stood out or were about fairies. His eyes instantly caught sight of one book that stood out from the rest. It was an old, dusty tome with ornate gold filigree lettering. Talcott audibly oohed and carefully pulled the book from the shelf. The golden lettered title 'Celtic Myths' brilliantly sparkled as he opened the book to a random page.  
  
Inside, the antiquated lettering still appeared to be freshly inked and gave off a faint scent of tree bark ink. The illuminations, just like the ink were just as vibrant as ever. Talcott briefly flipped to the front inside cover to check the copyright and publishing date. Talcott blinked in surprise to see that both dates were from around the early nineteen fifties. He shook his head and flipped to another illustration. It was an elaborate inset drawing of an elderly Merlin, which took up the entire page. He was standing on a hillside dotted by a couple trees. On each side of the bearded man, stood a dragon, one gold and one red.  
  
As Talcott's eyes focused on the picture, the figures slowly started to move. Talcott smiled and slowly laughed as the old man's robes and beard started drifting back and forth in a light breeze. The two drakes lifted off from their perches on the ground and started slowly circling around Merlin, their wings lightly flapping along with the breeze.  
  
"Neek," Talcott whispered as he hurried over to her side. "Check out this beautiful illustration.  
  
Neek leaned over and peered at the picture, "That is a good drawing. Too bad the colors have faded and some of the paint has chipped off the page."  
  
Talcott blinked and looked at it closer. Still the drawing appeared to be perfectly colorful, new, and animated.  
  
He shook his head; "It looks still looks new to me. I admit the animated dragons is a bit weird, but I'm surprised an excellent book like this is still here on the shelves."  
  
Neek shot Talcott an odd glance, "You sure you're feeling okay?"  
  
Talcott nodded, "Yep, I'm okay. I have a neat new book."  
  
"Just take it easy, Talcott. Maybe you're getting too much sunlight."  
  
Talcott held the book under his arm and headed toward the front of the store to pay while Neek followed closely behind. Along the way up front, Adam and Amanda noticed Talcott moving toward the door, so they followed.  
  
"So what did you find, Talcott?" Adam asked just as Talcott had reached the register bogged down with books and loose papers.  
  
"Just a really antiquated mythology book," Talcott happily announced, handing a ten-dollar bill to the shopkeeper.  
  
Talcott pocketed the change, turned and followed his friends out the door. They started walking back towards Wooster, Talcott clutching his book tightly to him the entire time. They reached the first intersection and crossed over to the other side of the street. They passed a woman pushing a baby carriage. Talcott smiled and looked at her. The lady returned the smile and lightly patted him on the head and continued walking on towards the library. Talcott blinked and looked up at the lady in surprise. She had changed. Instead of looking like a normal human, she now had an elongated, spotted neck. She also was drastically taller, balancing on tall, spindly, speckled legs. Talcott gasped and stumbled backwards, bumping into Neek.  
  
"Take it easy Talcott," Neek said, helping Talcott balance. "What's the matter with you?"  
  
"Did you notice something weird about that lady?" he asked, pointing towards the giraffe lady.  
  
"Um… no," Neek said blinking.  
  
"Neither did I," Adam and Amanda answered almost simultaneously.  
  
"How couldn't you? She looked like a giraffe!"  
  
Neek pressed the back of her hand against Talcott's forehead, "Well, he doesn't have a fever. You sure you're feeling okay?"  
  
"Yes, I'm sure about it"  
  
"Maybe you had some bad hummus," Adam said.  
  
Talcott shook his head, "No I'm okay. Trust me. Let's just keep moving."  
  
"Okay then," Adam said. "Where are we going next?  
  
"Well, we could go look at R&B's Newsstand," Neek said.  
  
Amanda smiled, "I'd like to go there also."  
  
Adam glanced down at his watch and checked the time, "Good, we can do that. Still have about two more hours until my meeting, now if Talcott's done seeing giraffes, can we continue?"  
  
Talcott sighed and followed behind the others as they continued walking back up Main Street. Within ten minutes they had arrived at a yellow brick building just a few paces away from the local coffee shop, Grounds for Thought. On the front store window, which was the majority of the front wall of the store, was painted in big black and yellow letters 'R&B Newsstand'. Adam pushed the door and walked inside, followed by the rest of the group. Everyone almost immediately walked over to the Black Dog Games bookshelf and started looking for something that interested them. Talcott soon tired of elbowing his way to the books decided to go over and look at dice.  
  
He walked over to the counter and asked the clerk to see the box of dice. As the clerk moved out of the way to retrieve it from a lower shelf, Talcott noticed something better. On one of the shelves at about eye- level, Talcott noticed a twenty-sided die that had been obscured from view by the storekeeper's massive body. It almost seemed to shimmer like a fresh-cut diamond. Each side shimmered a brilliant iridescent rainbow each time the light caught just right on a side.  
  
"Oh, how much for that die?" Talcott asked, pointing to the die on the shelf behind him.  
  
The man behind the counter turned around and picked it up and turned around to face Talcott, "It's three dollars."  
  
"I'll take it," Talcott smiled, snatching the die from the man's hand. "Nevermind about the other dice."  
  
Talcott handed over four-dollar bills and turned to look at the others. They had also become tired of looking at the gaming books. Adam was sitting in on of the nearby chairs waiting patiently. Amanda was standing nearby, eyeing the die with wide, curious eyes. Neek had walked over to the other wall and was looking at an anime magazine.  
  
"Look at the die I got," Talcott said, showing Amanda the die.  
  
"It's pretty," she smiled. "Is that the only one you were going to get?"  
  
Talcott nodded, "I was going to get more, but this one cost me more than a set of regular-sided dice."  
  
Amanda nodded as Talcott turned back and picked up his change. Quickly after, he stuffed the die into his pocket and walked over toward the door along with Amanda. Neek and Adam noticed Talcott heading out, and quickly set down what they were doing and followed. Outside, they caught up with Talcott.  
  
"So what now did you buy?" Adam asked.  
  
Talcott reached into his pocket and pulled out the die. "I got this nifty twenty-sided die."  
  
"Yeah, that is pretty cool," Adam said.  
  
Neek nodded and smiled. "That is pretty good."  
  
They started walking back towards Wooster and towards campus. Talcott put the die back in his pocket and followed behind, looking around for any more weird-looking people. Along the way, Talcott walked up beside Neek and elbowed her lightly to get her attention.  
  
"Neek, are you gonna be going to visit her tonight?" he asked.  
  
"Visit who?" Adam asked, overhearing Talcott.  
  
"Sister Augustine," Neek said. "I got a note from a nun today asking me to come over for a party. It sounded pretty strange, I don't know if I really want to go to it. I'm only considering it because Talcott said that he'd come along just to make sure nothing happens to me."  
  
"Now let me get this straight," Adam said. "A nun, as in those ladies of faith that dress up in habits. And this nun wants you to visit her tonight?"  
  
Neek nodded, "Yep."  
  
"Sounds like an idea of a fun evening. I'd come along but I have my Environmental Action Group meeting tonight at nine. Afterwards, we'll be going out to the bar to drink"  
  
"That's okay," Talcott said. "I think I can take care of Neek should anything happen."  
  
"Cool. Let me know what happens," Amanda said.  
  
* * *  
  
Talcott followed Neek back to her room and took his usual spot on the floor while Neek sat down and checked her Internet connection. Talcott pulled out the die and started to closely examine it again. Neek looked over at Talcott and shook her head, turning back to her computer screen to enter the startup password.  
  
"So what is your obsession with that thing?" Neek nonchalantly asked. "I swear that thing has had your full attention all day. You treat it as if it were a priceless gem."  
  
Talcott squinted, staring into the core of the glittering structure. "I don't know what it is Neek," Talcott said. "It just seems… magical."  
  
"Talcott, look at you. You've been driven to obsession over a simple, plastic die."  
  
"It isn't just plain," Talcott said, staring deeper. "Besides, I've always—"  
  
Talcott's voice was sharply cut off, drowning the room in silence. "Talcott," Neek said after a moment of uncomfortable silence. "You've always what?"  
  
Still no response came from Talcott. Neek turned to look at Talcott. She gripped her chair as she instantly recoiled back in fright. Talcott… or at least what should be Talcott was now sitting right where Talcott was, still holding the die and intently staring at it. However, he now was encased in a clear plastic twenty-sided numbered polygon.  
  
"Talcott," Neek said, tapping on a side. "You okay in there, Talcott?"  
  
Neek still got no response. She shrugged in futility and turned back to her screen and looked at the time, it was about eight-thirty.  
  
"Well, he's got some time to snap out of this before I have to visit Sister Augustine. There's no way any authority figure wouldn't think I'm crazy, I might as well sit here and wait," she said, clicking the Internet Explorer icon.  
  
The screen lit up, displaying her homepage. Neek happily squealed and clapped as she raced to type in an address.  
  
"Well, at least I have the Internet while I wait," she sighed, leaning back into her chair.  
  
* * *  
  
Amanda sighed and pulled her jacket closer over he shoulders as she headed up Ridge Street toward the south end of campus. The night air was slightly chilly as a cool breeze tossed about her hair. She crossed Ridge Street at the corner nearby the Musical Arts Building. She looked at her watch; she had plenty of time to make it to the Offenhauer Towers to see her boyfriend, Mark.  
  
She looked up the street before she continued on. The street was empty, not even a single student passing between Kreischer and the student Recreation Center. Though she did hear something. It was a solitary piano melody that faintly wafted outside through a window of one of the second floor practice rooms in the music building.  
  
The notes seemed almost alive as they danced across her ears. Amanda grinned and headed inside, instantly compelled to find the source of this haunting melody. She turned and started to run inside as fast her legs could carry her. She found the stairs and darted up them to the next floor. Here the melody seemed to permeate the walls themselves and flow out into the hallway. Amanda swam through the melody down the hall and around the corner until she stopped right in front of an open door. She quietly approached the door so as not to interrupt the performer of this haunting melody.  
  
Though as she crossed the threshold, the music suddenly stopped. Amanda's vision focused again, presenting her a man dressed in a fancy black Armani leisure suit. He was facing away from Amanda, focusing his attention on the baby grand piano that set before him.  
  
"Good evening, good lady," the man finally spoke up, with a calm, steady voice.  
  
He stood up and turned around to take a look at her. Amanda was stood in place, stunned only a few steps inside the door as the man started walking towards her. He slowly walked over and gracefully held out his hand. Amanda reached out to put her hand in his, as if she was trying to shake his hand.  
  
"My name is Valor," the man said, kissing the back of her hand.  
  
Amanda blushed and withdrew her hand. "I'm Amanda."  
  
"The pleasure is all mine," he said, stepping back gracefully towards the piano and bringing out a crystal decanter filled with a red liquid. "May I offer you a drink?"  
  
"What is it?" Amanda asked.  
  
"Some of my finest vintage," he said, pouring a glass.  
  
Amanda shook her head, "No thanks, I'm not old enough to drink that stuff yet."  
  
Valor sighed, "Dreadfully sorry. Perhaps I could get you a drink out of one of the machines?"  
  
"I'd like that."  
  
"I'll be right back then. Just make yourself at home."  
  
Amanda politely sat down in one of the extra chairs near the piano and waited. She wasn't quite sure why she was here, but it seemed like she wouldn't be going anywhere for a while. Just as she reached out to press down a key on the piano, Valor strode through the door with a can of soda.  
  
"I hope you like Hawaiian Punch," he said, walking over to a music stand, folding it down to make a table. "It was all they had left."  
  
Amanda smiled, accepting the cup from Valor's hand, "No, that's okay."  
  
She lifted the cup to her nose and smelled the juice briefly before drinking deeply. Valor smiled and walked back over to the piano and sat down. He softly played a melody on the keys as he watched Amanda finish off the glass of punch. She softly set the glass down on the music stand and looked at Valor. He smiled and continued playing, adding a crescendo.  
  
"So, are you a music major?" Valor abruptly inquired.  
  
Amanda nodded, "Well, I'm trying to, but I'm not that good."  
  
"Let me be the judge of that," he smiled. "Are you a vocal or instrumental major?"  
  
"Vocal."  
  
"Good," he said, starting to play again. "Sing for me."  
  
"Well…" Amanda said, standing up, taking a stance by the piano. "I don't know."  
  
"Just sing."  
  
Amanda started singing. Her melodious voice filled the room, perfectly melding with the haunting tune that had lured her to Valor. For an instance, the swelling and ebbing of both piano and voice created an almost tangible energy that swept from singer to player. Valor instantly stopped, dumbfounded by sheer beauty of the performance; Amanda, on the other hand, continued on, still not noticing that the music had stopped. She paused for a second once the refrain finished, realizing that Valor had stopped. She peered curiously at him.  
  
"Are you okay?" she asked, gently tapping him on the shoulder.  
  
For a couple seconds she received no response from the man, then almost as if forcibly, he came to, peering into her eyes.  
  
"What? What was that?"  
  
"I said are you okay?" she replied.  
  
"Oh… yes, yes I am okay. That was beautiful singing. Do you practice much?"  
  
She shook her head. "No, maybe two to three times a week."  
  
"You could be a thousand times better than that then."  
  
"What do you mean by that?" Amanda asked.  
  
"Simple," he stood up and stepped over to her side. "Do you realize just how beautiful your voice is? It made me stop what I was doing, so I could fully experience… nay, enjoy it. There is immense potential inside of you."  
  
Amanda blushed, "Thanks… do you really think so?"  
  
"Yes I do. In fact, with a little help from me, I do believe you could be the best. Perhaps you might even become a celebrity," he said, taking a cocky stance. "So do you want to be the best?"  
  
Amanda eagerly nodded, "Yes, yes I do."  
  
"Do you want me to help you become the best?"  
  
Again, she exuberantly nodded, "Yes please do."  
  
He picked up the glass and put it into a bag and headed out the door, "Good then, follow me."  
  
"Where are we going?" Amanda asked, racing to catch up with him.  
  
"To my studio. In order to become the best, we must start practicing immediately."  
  
"Okay."  
  
She followed Valor outside to a parked black Lexus. He pulled a keychain out and deactivated the alarm, opening the front passenger-side door for her. Amanda blushed and slid into the front seat. Valor shut the door and hurried around to the driver's side and got in. With a deft swoop of his wrist, he slipped the key into the ignition and turned it on. They pulled out of the space in the back lot of the music building and started towards Wooster Street.  
  
Within minutes they arrived at a quaint Victorian style house nestled into a small grove of oak trees. Valor steered the car into the driveway and slowed to a stop just off to the side of the front sidewalk. He quickly got out of the car and ushered Amanda out of her seat and led her up to the front door. Amanda gazed in awe at the beauty of the place as Valor fished out the door key and opened the front door for her. The ornate oaken door swung open into the foyer as Amanda stepped inside.  
  
"Welcome to my home and studio," Valor said. "If you would like to take your coat off, you may place it on the rack over there. Then, when you're ready, we can go upstairs and get a few hours of practice in."  
  
Amanda pulled her coat off and placed it on the rack and quietly followed Valor up a winding set of stairs to the second floor. He carefully slid a white-paneled door aside and ushered Amanda into a room filled with musical equipment. Off in one corner was a table with some recording equipment positioned right next to a sound mixer. Neatly scattered about the room in all corners were a variety of musical instruments along with cabinets, which, Amanda could only reason, held sheet music. In the center of the room stood the finest grand piano Amanda had ever seen.  
  
"That's a beautiful piano you have there," Amanda said, dumbfounded.  
  
"You like it?" Valor shot her a smirk. "It's a rare antique that I recently acquired in an auction that was held over near London."  
  
"Wow. Do you travel much."  
  
"When the weather allows it, I try," Valor said, glancing about the room. "Nevermind that, we must start practicing. I want to make sure you get through all scales as well as a few pieces I have pre-selected."  
  
Amanda blinked and adjusted into proper singing posture. Valor placed a couple musical scores on a stand in front of Amanda before sitting down at the piano. He played a warm-up scale, then giving Amanda a tuning note. After a few seconds of warming up Amanda's voice, they started intensely practicing.  
  
It was a bout four in the morning by the time Valor and Amanda had finished the last piece he selected. Amanda took a seat as Valor poured her a drink. She quickly gulped down the glass and handed it back for more. After she has quenched her thirst, she glanced up at the clock.  
  
"Oh geez," she started. "I didn't know it was this late. I need to be heading back home. I have classes in the morning."  
  
"Perhaps you could then just sleep up in the guest bedroom," Valor suggested. "I can drive you back to campus in the morning. It would take too long for you to make it back home. Undoubtedly, you would like to get some sleep tonight, right?"  
  
Amanda nodded, "You're right. I suppose I can stay here for the night. That is, if I'm not imposing."  
  
"No, not at all. Remember, I offered the room to you?"  
  
"Okay, thank you for all you have done thus far."  
  
"'Tis no problem," Valor said. "Now come along and I'll show you where the bedroom is."  
  
* * *  
  
Talcott blinked, he was able to move again. Though, as he looked around, he was no longer in Neek's room. Now he stood in the middle of an antique kitchen. Off in a corner stood a small slab of rock, on which a small fire was started, over which a large black kettle simmered. The counters were compromised mainly of roughly hewn wood, which were supported by spindly tree branches. Despite the archaic appearance of the kitchen, it was remarkably spotless.  
  
He tried to interact with his surroundings, though to his dismay, his hands passed right through the countertops and cupboards. He sighed loudly and started to head towards the only door in the room. Just as he neared it, a stout man raced through it, harshly flinging the door through Talcott's incorporeal body. Talcott jumped back in surprise and studied the man as he dashed about the kitchen. He looked vaguely familiar to Talcott, though he just couldn't place it.  
  
The stoutish character darted immediately to one of the cupboards, flung it open and pulled out a large black skillet. He examined it for a second then darted over to the stove, which somehow was now lit. Then in a flash, there was a large fillet of succulently seasoned beef roasting to perfection in the skillet a few seconds after the pan had been slammed down on the stove.  
  
Talcott blinked, slightly stupefied, and walked over to look closer at the man. Suddenly, he knew who it was… that old man was him. The name Banyard Throggin rolled off his tongue, resounding with crystal clarity through his ears and the room. The strange man looked up from the cut of meat, which now was elegantly dressed on a fine silver platter, and muttered.  
  
"Yes, Milord," he shouted, immediately snatching up the plate and dashing out the door. "I've finished your dinner!"  
  
Talcott blinked, softly repeating the name to himself. "Banyard Throggin… Banyard…"  
  
Talcott's body started to iridescently glow as he felt his features start to change. He grew even shorter as his hair grew even longer. He noticed that it now was a shimmering white with grey streaks.  
  
"I… I now understand!" Talcott said, the glow now causing the room to fade from view. "It is time I reclaimed my legacy."  
  
* * *  
  
Neek nervously glanced over at her clock, her meeting time with Sister Augustine was quickly approaching and Talcott still hadn't come out the plastic shell that had encased him. Her boyfriend, Logan had talked to her for well over an hour and a half, assuring her that everything will be okay. Although he couldn't completely believe or comprehend everything she said, he warned her that she probably shouldn't go if Talcott hasn't come out of his shell by midnight. Now it was eleven forty-five, over two hours since Talcott had been 'encased' by the die he had been admiring for the entire day.  
  
"Talcott!" Neek said, pounding anxiously on the plastic. "Come out… you're not paying attention to me!"  
  
There was a small hum in the room that grew as the surface started to show a small crack. Neek fell back on her butt and watched with baited breath. The crack grew as a small light started to envelop Talcott from within. As the cracks grew and spread, so did the glow and the hum. Within seconds, every surface was glowing a bright white light as the hum grew to almost unbearable levels. Neek clasped her hands over her ears and closed her eyes as she hear the die shatter.  
  
"Neek!" Talcott called. "I'm back."  
  
Neek looked up at Talcott, who for a brief instant looked drastically shorter, older, and his hair appeared greyer. Hesitantly, she reached out and poked Talcott in the shoulder. Her fingertip contacted with Talcott's shirt as Talcott pushed against the force placed on his shoulder.  
  
"Yep, you're definitely back. Where'd you go?"  
  
"Nowhere in particular," Talcott said. "Just back to a sort of limbo place to view a past life."  
  
Neek blinked eyeing Talcott suspiciously, "Sure you did Talcott."  
  
"Yes I did and well… um… I don't know how to phrase this without it sounding bad. But, anyway here it goes. Neek, I'm a faerie."  
  
Neek smirked, suppressing a laugh by quickly clasping her hands over her mouth. Once she had regained some control she looked up at Talcott, "You mean like – "  
  
"No, not like him. I'm a reincarnated spirit of the fae."  
  
"You know, that's what –"  
  
"Not gay… just a faerie," Talcott snapped. "Free spirited. No Gay!"  
  
"Okay, okay," Neek backed off. "So do you still plan on coming with me? I am definitely not going to see some whack nun alone… especially after what's happened so far."  
  
Talcott raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean by that, Neek?"  
  
Neek flapped her arms in agitation, "You know what I mean. First Dave disappears; then I get some note from a nun requesting a secretive rendezvous; and now you pop out of an over-sized plastic die claiming to be a faerie out of myth. I mean can all this be related?"  
  
"Maybe," Talcott shrugged. "I guess I'll accompany you to the schoolhouse. There we can ask the lady if she knows anything about Dave's disappearance."  
  
Neek perked up and smiled. "Great. Though you need to stay out of sight."  
  
"What? I thought you just said you wanted someone to come with you."  
  
"I do…" Neek started. "It's just that the note said to come alone. Maybe she won't talk if she knows someone else is there. I just want someone nearby to help in case she goes psycho and does something."  
  
"Well, I don't know what I can do inside of a combat situation, but I'll do my best…"  
  
"Good," Neek smiled as she picked up her keys and raced to the door. "Let's get going!"  
  
"Heaven help us…" Talcott sighed and followed close behind her.  
  
* * *  
  
Adam stood up and stretched his back just as the Environmental Action Group adjourned for the week. Several other students stood up and started to file out after brief good-byes while others clustered around tonight's guest speaker. His name was Virgil Stanton. Outwardly, Virgil looked like your average outdoorsman. He wore a camouflage jacket over a grungy white tee shirt. His dull green khakis were spotted with various stains, some mud, some perhaps was blood – nobody knew.  
  
He had agreed to come from his site out in some Oregon wilderness to give a speech on the dire importance to save the old-growth forests of the American Northwest. The speech roused many of the members, though for some others – the first few people to leave immediately after the speech – his words fell on deaf ears. Adam took his place nearby Amy, one of his friends, a few paces from the podium.  
  
"Thanks lots," Adam said, offering his hand out to Virgil. "My name's Adam."  
  
"Nice to meet you Adam," Virgil replied, accepting Adam's hand with a firm handshake. "Glad to see that my speech hasn't been completely disregarded by all."  
  
"Don't mind them," Adam said. "Many have busy schedules."  
  
"Oh," Virgil nodded knowingly. "That's reassuring. So tell me Adam, what interests you most about my lecture?"  
  
"Well…" Adam paused a moment. "The eco-terrorism attempts did sound pretty fascinating. However, I was trying to think of some other ways to protect the forest without taking such brutal measures."  
  
Virgil smirked. "Well, what did you come up with?"  
  
"Regrettably, nothing much." Adam said.  
  
"Exactly, sometimes drastic countermeasures are the only way to let the loggers know that they aren't wanted."  
  
"So they know of you and your group's presence in the forest?"  
  
"Yes… and no," Virgil smirked. "Some of the actions that we've taken have spawned stories of alleged demons sprouting from the ground and attacking a few of the loggers at night. Many disregard those stories, but it is good to know that they're afraid of us."  
  
Adam nodded, "Freaky, you know, I have a friend who'd be interested in some of the legends of the area… unfortunately he's turned up missing."  
  
"Terribly sorry to hear that."  
  
"Yeah well, he kinda does that sometimes," Adam said, checking the clock on the wall. "Well, I really hate to cut it short, but me and some friends of mine are going out drinking. You're welcome to join us."  
  
"Sure, I'd love to."  
  
"Great," Adam said with a smile. "It's always great to have another legal person around to buy us under-agers drinks."  
  
"I'd imagine," Virgil said as he quietly followed behind Adam and his companions out to an old green Volkswagen bug.  
  
They all strolled out to the lot six overflow on-campus parking lot among idle chat. Amy unlocked the doors as the group of seven somehow managed to cram themselves in and took off up Wooster towards downtown.  
  
* * *  
  
"Neek, are you sure this is a good idea?" Talcott apprehensively muttered. "You know this is exactly how some bizarre horror movie begins."  
  
"Just like in 'The axe-murderer from Carfax Abbey'," Neek turned and smirked at him.  
  
"Exactly, now you see how I feel."  
  
"Geebus Talcott, I made that title up," Neek turned and continued walking into past a group of students perched on the hood of a car in the parking lot nearby the old red schoolhouse. "Now we can turn around and forget about this, possibly losing Dave forever… or—"  
  
"Or what? Go there meet some creepy nun and have our brains blown out?" Talcott snapped back as he turned and started walking away. "You know… I'm not particularly in the mood to be murdered tonight. I'm heading back to the dorms."  
  
"Please stay Talcott," Neek pleaded. "I really could use your help."  
  
Talcott stopped abruptly and looked down. Neek walked over to Talcott and put her hand on his shoulder, applying a little pressure.  
  
"This definitely goes against my better judgement," Talcott sighed. "But okay, I'll stay."  
  
"Thanks," Neek smiled. "I promise nothing will harm you."  
  
They continued across the parking lot until they reached the sidewalk that led up to the old, dilapidated schoolhouse. Even though the university gave frequent tours of the place, they still neglected to keep it in a presentable condition. Patches of the exterior paint was flaking off, leaving a dull crimson residue on the exposed soil near the foundation. Tonight, unlike other nights, the lights inside were on. They shone through the dulled white shutters, which were now drawn closed.  
  
Talcott stopped no more than a few feet away from the front door. He shuddered and took several steps backward, shaking his head. "So cold… nope… not going in," Talcott said, crouching down behind a nearby bush. "I stand watch from here."  
  
"Silly Talcott," Neek sighed, turning back towards the door. "You do that."  
  
At first she knocked lightly on the dingy old door. Nobody answered the door. Neek turned to Talcott and shrugged. She knocked again, this time a bit louder. Almost immediately after, the door swung open. Neek was greeted by a frail old woman dressed in a habit.  
  
"Good evening," the woman spoke. "I assume you're Miss Hodges?"  
  
Nervously, Neek shook her head yes as she glanced about the room. Everything seemed quite mundane. Off to one side of the room was a cluster of neatly ordered old-fashioned school desks covered with a fine layer of dust. Over on the other side of the room sat an antique wood stove, caked in parts by a layer of rust.  
  
"Excellent, as you must know by know, I am Sister Augustine DuMonde," the woman answered, offering her hand out.  
  
Neek cautiously shook her hand with a trembling grasp and a nervous smile. "Nice to meet you Sister Augustine."  
  
She nodded, turned and slowly walked over to an upholstered chair behind what appeared to be the teacher's desk and sat down. A cloud of dusk puffed up, scattering in the miniscule breeze that wafted through the room. Neek coughed lightly as Sister Augustine adjusted the skirt of her habit. When Neek looked back up, she noticed something drastically wrong with her hostess. Aside from the habit she wore, Sister Augustine was emaciatingly thin and remarkably pale. Her skin clung tight to her, giving an almost corpse-like appearance. As for what skin that was showing, it seemed to be almost a blanched white, the color of cauliflower that had been over cooked.  
  
"Please," she motioned to a nearby chair. "Make yourself at home."  
  
Neek adamantly shook her head. "That's okay. I'm fine right where I am."  
  
The nun nodded. "I see. Well then, I must thank you for agreeing to meet me with such short notice and almost no information at all."  
  
"Well, I didn't have much of a choice," Neek said. "So why did you want to speak to me anyway?"  
  
Sister Augustine looked down and began. "I asked you here tonight to ask for your help. A great danger is about to befall the city of Bowling Green, I have been fighting it for quite some time."  
  
"Danger?" Neek snapped. "Like what?"  
  
"Well, that is hard to explain…"  
  
"Try me."  
  
"You see a family of vampires are heading towards the city of Bowling Green. We suspect that they are already here and are nearing the time when they shall strike. Nothing shall be spared."  
  
"Wait a minute," Neek interjected. "You want me to believe that vampires are coming to take over the city. Now that's pretty ludicrous. Next you'll be trying to convince me that you're a vampire yourself."  
  
Sister Augustine nodded. "Actually, yes. I am a vampire. It was the blood of my now near-extinct line that spawned these soulless monstrosities."  
  
"Uh-huh." Neek smirked. "And how do I tie into all of this? So you and your family made a mistake and created some brats that decided to kill their creators. I have absolutely nothing to do with this."  
  
"That's where you're wrong, Miss Hodges-"  
  
"Call me Neek."  
  
"Okay. Miss Neek that is where you are mistaken. You see, that is why I want to speak with you. I wish to recruit you."  
  
Neek stopped silent, her mouth gapped open in surprise. Sister Augustine sighed, stood up and walked over to Neek's side. Slowly Sister Augustine put her hand on Neek's shoulder. Neek immediately responded by jerking away quickly.  
  
"Don't touch me, you freak!" Neek shouted.  
  
"I'm so terribly sorry," she shied back away. "You see, I have been viewing you for quite some time. I think you are an excellent candidate to be embraced into the Cappadocian race."  
  
"Say what?" Neek shouted, backing off.  
  
"That is the name of my clan, or formally, family inside vampiric society. The name of the family that will be upon us shortly is the Giovanni. The first thing they shall do is locate me an exterminate me. That is why I need your aid."  
  
"Uh-uh… no way," Neek shouted. "There is no way I want to become involved in any of this."  
  
"But you don't understand," Sister Augustine pleaded on one knee. "More people than just me will die because of the Giovanni."  
  
"Go ahead, I hate people anyway."  
  
"Some may even be your friends," she wept, lowering her head.  
  
Neek stopped and remorsefully looked at the elderly woman. She had reduced a woman who had turned to her for help to weeping mess. Then it struck her; she looked at the ground just below Sister Augustine's face. She wasn't crying clear, saline tears. It was drops of crimson – real blood tears.  
  
"Sister Augustine," Neek said, softly at first. "Tell me how old are you?"  
  
"It has been about one thousand years since my rebirth to damnation," she managed to weep between tears. My sire is one of four remaining Cappadocians."  
  
"I'll do it," Neek said, nervously at first but with more assurance. "I'll help you against the Giovanni, then what ever else might happen."  
  
The nun looked up at her, a blood tear dripped from the corner of her eye and slid down the contour of her cheek.  
  
A slight smile drifted across her face. "Seriously?"  
  
Neek nodded. "I'll do my best, please… just don't cry."  
  
"Very well then," she said, standing back up, wiping the blood from her face.  
  
"Just one more question."  
  
"I'll try my best to answer it."  
  
"Do you think the Giovanni have my friend, Dave? He disappeared last night just before the storm and we haven't seen him since."  
  
"It certainly is a possibility. Now come along, there will be time later for more questions, we must get you situated for embrace before morning comes."  
  
Neek wearily nodded and followed closely behind Sister Augustine to a small trapdoor hidden inside the storage closet. They slid down into a darkened tunnel, barely lit by access lights.  
  
"Here," Sister Augustine motioned. "Rest here, when you wake, you shall be a vampire."  
  
Neek sat down and closed her eyes. She could hear Sister Augustine gently humming a song. It seemed vaguely familiar, but Neek still could not place it. Neek yawned once and drifted into unconsciousness. 


	3. Chapter 2: Chaos Ensues

Chapter 2: Chaos Ensues  
  
Psst! Hey, wake up… you can't die. Yet.  
  
Jon opened his eyes cautiously to a pasty white room. At least he thought it was a room. He couldn't tell where the walls where. Before him stood a man, not much older than him, dressed entirely in punk-gothic. He wore tight black leather pants with a silvery mesh tank top, which almost seemed to be a second skin. He seemed to be dressed for the outdoors, wearing black boots, which nearly rose to his kneecap. On top of that he had on a black satin trenchcoat, which flowed all the way to the ground, stopping inches above his heels.  
  
Jon stretched as the man stood there, staring with a haughty grin on his face. Despite the severe bludgeoning he figured he received from his attackers, he felt nothing wrong. No broken bones… no ripped flesh… not even a wrinkled garment. Jon pulled himself to his feet and stepped up the gothic stranger. Briefly, he gave him the once-over before taking several cautious steps backwards.  
  
"So…" Jon started. "Who the hell are you? Not only that… where are we?"  
  
"Ah," the man began. "Two good questions. One of which is completely out of grasp right now for you. I'll answer the simple question. My name is Dimitry – only Dimitry. No last names."  
  
Jon nodded. "So care to try to tell me where we are?"  
  
Dimitry glanced at his watch. "Well, we have sometime before the spell ends, so sure. Don't blame me if you don't understand though."  
  
Jon nodded as he continued rambling amid occasional hand swipes to keep stray hairs off of his face. Like Dimitry had said, this was completely over his head. Something about a computer-generated program that establishes ethereal links between dream worlds… or something like that. Jon blinked and absent-mindedly nodded his agreement.  
  
"So," Dimitry said after about five minutes. "That's what it is… plain and simple updated Hermetic magick."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Thought so," he smirked. "Well, before this link fails and we're thrown in different directions, let me explain something to you. You're now capable of doing things like this. Just before you and your friend were bludgeoned by the bone-baddies back in the graveyard you awoke."  
  
"What the hell?" Jon shot him a quizzical glance.  
  
Dimitry sighed. "You're familiar with the human spirit, right? Well, consider that be an ethereal being. Some of which are capable of a… well, higher power than others."  
  
"Magic."  
  
"Right. However, in order for the spirit – or avatar as we call it – to imbue with these new powers, something has to happen to give it a reason to give it to you."  
  
Jon nodded, "So you're saying that me getting my ass whipped by skeletons was just cause for my spirit –avatar- whatever to give me weird voodoo powers. You know what… I think your fucking nuts."  
  
"Well, how many times before today have you encountered real, almost- live skeletons trying to kick your ass?"  
  
"You got a point there. So what am I supposed to use my powers for?"  
  
"Well, you could use them to help you and your friend escape. You're currently captive to a vampire somewhere on the campus of Bowling Green."  
  
"But how? Do I say magic words or something? Are there hand gestures? Do I conjure a fireball and whomp 'em?"  
  
"Nah, only if you want to show off. Though I'm pretty sure you're not quite able to do that kind of things," Dimitry said. "I'll give you a quick lesson on magick. That's magick with a 'k'. Not your crummy stage and parlor tricks. Though what you're about to do can be dismissed as such. Anyway… what magick is best used for is to make changes to reality so small nobody even notices that they've happened."  
  
"Like what though?" Jon asked. "Can I use my power to make it so they forgot to capture me?"  
  
"You're on the right track, but not quite. Think even more minute than that," Dimitry said, glancing quickly at his watch. "Well, my spell should be wearing off soon. Good luck to you and should you ever escape, come look for me."  
  
Dimitry pulled out a scrap of paper and scrawled an address on it, handing it to Jon. Put that someplace safe… I think you're gonna need it. Jon nodded as he felt a cold rush of air envelop the two of them. The area started to glow brilliantly white, obscuring Jon's sight.  
  
Jon blinked, waking to reality with a startled shout. In front of him stood three men, dressed in black business suits, carrying guns. One of them had jumped back several feet in surprise at Jon's shout. The others laughed at the third's cowardice as he regained composure, stepping back up into line.  
  
"So ya finally woke," the man in the middle sneered. "Good. Fer a second I though dat we'd only get to kill yer pretty girlfriend here."  
  
Jon glanced over and saw Beth strung up on the wall next to him. She was glancing over at him, eyes widened. He noticed that the both of them were only tied to the wall with black leather straps. Although they appeared flimsy, they were tied quite tight. He couldn't move very well inside the restraints.  
  
"So, ya hungry?" middle man asked.  
  
Jon shook his head as middle man's goons chucked.  
  
"Good, 'cause ya ain't getting' anything!"  
  
They turned around and walked several feet back towards the opposite end of the room, sat down and started talking. Jon sighed looked surveyed the room. Besides the table and the restraining bars, the room was pretty empty. There were a few thick, rusty hooks, on which the men had hung their coats. Other than that, it was just another room with chipping yellowed paint and a bare cement floor with a drainage grate in the center. Then Jon noticed the door. It was barely five feet away from them. Somehow he knew it was made of solid oak – and that it had no locks, bars, or even tumblers. He glanced back over at Beth who was glaring at him.  
  
"You know, this just fucking sucks!" she whispered to him.  
  
"Well, duh."  
  
That was the only thing Jon could reasonably reply to her at the time.  
  
"Aren't you the cool and calm one," Beth said. "You got us into this mess. Get us out of it."  
  
Jon rolled his eyes. "What the hell do you want me to do? Ask the guards nicely if they'll let us go?"  
  
Dimitry's words shot back into his mind. Quickly, he dismissed the idea of reasoning with their captors. Again, he wriggled, checking his confines. The straps still seemed to be holding tightly. Despite that, he noticed that they were mere double knots. Jon smirked and looked over at Beth.  
  
"When I say so, run…. Got it?" he whispered as low as possible.  
  
Beth cocked her head, readying to quip sarcastically back at him, but spontaneously just stopped and nodded silently. Jon concentrated. He wasn't quite sure how he was supposed to do this, but he focused his will into it. Small droplets of sweat beaded up onto his forehead. At first he felt nothing, but then slowly his legs started tingling. It was a low, dull throb that spread up through his body and outward. Then with one last tensing of his temples, the leather straps fell limply from their wrists.  
  
Jon launched himself forward, shouting. Beth, stunned by what just had happened, quickly regained her senses and started racing after Jon, who had already slammed through the door and was half way up the stairs. Behind them, they could hear the angered shouts of the men and quickened footsteps heading towards the stairway. With a ragged gasp of air, Beth joined Jon at the top of the stairway. All about them were an assortment of lawn care equipment. Lawnmowers, shovels, and rakes were strewn all about the area.  
  
The footsteps were closing in, now a loud tromp racing up the steps. Quickly darting around the equipment, Beth grabbed Jon's wrist and flung out an exterior door. The two poured out into the darkness of the campus cemetery. Beth started to race towards the main entrance; however, Jon yanked her away and started running in the opposite direction.  
  
"This way's faster," Jon panted. "There's a small opening in the fence."  
  
They had barely made ten feet when they heard the three goons race outside. Within seconds they had managed to spot them as they darted up a small hill in the center of the graveyard. As they made halfway up the hill, they heard gunshots ring out, ricocheting off the pavement and nearby graves. Beth shrieked and Jon gripped her arm tighter, trying to drag her along with his pace. They crested the top and continued running towards the southeast corner. Jon silently prayed to whatever force that helped him escape to avoid harm from bullets.  
  
He felt a similar feeling flow through his body as three more shots screamed past them. Beth broke off from Jon and started weaving opposite him past stones, running as fast as she could. Finally, they reached the fence. Jon flung himself through the fence with almost no effort. Beth squatted and started to weave herself through the chicken wire as Jon tugged desperately on her. Just as she had almost made it all the way through, one last shot rang out. It firmly connected with her leg. Beth screamed.  
  
"Oh fuck that hurt!" she screamed. "Shit fuck damn!"  
  
Wasting no time, Jon ripped off part of his shirt and hastily wrapped it over the wound. After he was sure the wrap would stay on, he summoned all his strength and hoisted her over his shoulder and started running back towards the dorms. The streets were empty that night. Not even a few stragglers coming home late from the clubs. At every juncture, Jon swore he could have heard footsteps hurrying after him, even amid Beth's violent screams. After a hurried jog, Jon arrived at the side entrance to Kreischer-Batchelder dormitory. Wheezing, he set Beth down on her feet, supporting the injured side.  
  
He opened the door and slowly escorted Beth inside. Just as he was about to turn around, he noticed a black Cadillac come wheeling up the street directly leading to the graveyard. Jon's eyes widened and slammed the door shut, rushing Beth to her room.  
  
* * *  
  
Neek woke up in a comfortable bed somewhere in a darkened room. She wasn't quite sure if there still was daylight outside, though, from what she saw, there were no hints of light through the thick, black woolen curtains that obscured the window. Her leg joints creaked as she sat upright, draping her legs over the edge of the bed. Slowly she stood up and drew back the curtains. Behind them, two thick shutters locked by an imposing padlock barred the outside world.  
  
"Damn," she sighed. "Now what?"  
  
"Well you could change back into your clothes," a familiar voice came form the other side of a door positioned on the wall across the room. "Then you can have some breakfast."  
  
Neek looked down and gasped at the plain white cloth nightgown she had on. Blushing, she quickly changed outfits, neatly folding the nightie and placing it on the nightstand.  
  
She padded over to the door and turned the ornate doorknob. The old door creaked open, revealing Sister Augustine standing before her, holding a sterling silver tray with a jeweled cup on top. Neek shot her an uneasy smile as they sat down at the edge of the bed. Augustine set the tray down and motioned to Neek. At first, Neek just stared at the cup.  
  
"Um, I thought you said I was going to have breakfast," Neek said.  
  
"That I did, didn't I?" she replied, motioning to the cup. "That is your breakfast."  
  
Neek lifted the cup up, tilted it to her and looked in. Her nostrils were hit with a tangy, metallic scent as a thick crimson liquid flowed up towards the lip of the glass. The scent danced across her senses, it seemed to be almost the perfect scent. Neek shrugged and lifted the glass to her lips and drank deeply. The thick, viscous liquid flowed almost soothingly down her throat. Within a couple gulps, the cup was empty and was placed back on the tray.  
  
"I didn't think that you would have been so hungry, childe," Sister Augustine said.  
  
"Who knew," Neek replied. "By the way, where did you get that stuff it was… delicious."  
  
"Oh, it was from a transient I found out in the alleyway. He won't be missing it. He's in a better place now and besides, his blood is feeding my childe."  
  
Neek's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "You what? I drank what? Some hobo blood?"  
  
"Aye. You'll need it to survive now. Remember? You agreed to become a vampire."  
  
Neek nodded. "I know that… but, well… it's blood."  
  
She stared at the cup as Sister Augustine gently rubbed her shoulder. Neek shook her head and sighed. "I suppose the nastiness associated will wear off in time."  
  
"Right," Sister Augustine softly replied. "Now before we start discussing the matters at hand, do you have any questions?"  
  
She nodded. "Yes I do. You talked about the Giovanni a bit, but you didn't mention anything about your bloodline."  
  
"Ah, already seeking answers to what you are… well, this is an easy question to answer. We are Cappadocians, an ancient lineage of vampires that study the secrets of the dead as well as practice the lost art of necromancy. Long ago, some of our elders took interest in a family of Italian necromancers and decided to embrace them. Shortly after, we learned of their secret agenda. Within months they started to hunt down and destroy every Cappadocian – soon we became a rarity, just like the long lost clan of the Salubri."  
  
"What are they?"  
  
"That I don't know. Their clan's disappearance is shrouded in mystery. Perhaps one of my books downstairs may help you out."  
  
"You mean…?"  
  
"Yes, as my child, you have full access to this estate. You may use anything you find inside this house."  
  
"Neat," Neek leapt to her feet, racing immediately to one of the bookshelves. "And my friends?"  
  
"Your friends are welcome here as well. They will need to know of the imminent danger."  
  
Neek plucked an old leather-bound tome off the shelf, flipping it open. "Hey, wait… I can't read this. It's some strange gibberish."  
  
"That's just latin, dear. I can teach that to you immediately if you wish."  
  
Quickly Neek slid closer to Sister Augustine. "Begin."  
  
* * *  
  
Amanda woke with a start, flipping almost upright in bed. Her eyes darted about the room. Slowly, her blurry vision streaked to normal as she focused on a clock by the nightstand. The hazy digital display read ten o'clock, p.m. She sighed and got out of bed, putting her socks and shoes back on. Stretching, she called out.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
The halls muffled her cry as silence echoed back. Feeling brave, she pushed the door open and stepped out into the hallway. She had remembered this hallway. It was the one Valor had ushered her down shortly before he retired to his room. Two ornate desk lamps illuminated the hallway as Amanda crept on towards the stairs.  
  
"Valor? Where are you?"  
  
She reached the top of the stairs when the door down the opposite hall opened up. Out stepped valor in a red crimson robe. Almost immediately he noticed Amanda and smiled, quickly walking over to her side.  
  
"Ah, I thought I heard someone out here. Good morning," he politely smiled. "I trust that you slept well."  
  
Amanda nodded. "Though you were supposed to wake me up in time to make it to my first class."  
  
"Oh that I did. Sorry. You see, I too was simply exhausted that I must have overslept also. Besides, such harsh lights like the sun will, well… lay waste to your wondrous complexion."  
  
Amanda stumbled back, down a couple of stairs. "What do you mean by that? The sun's never bothered my skin that much."  
  
"Well I suppose I should tell you the truth. Though perhaps we should discuss this over breakfast, yes?"  
  
"No. Tell me now. I want to know."  
  
"Well, you remember how last night you had told me that you wished to become the very best you could be?"  
  
Amanda nodded.  
  
"Well, in order to fully," he paused. "Preserve such a beautiful voice, I had to do something… rash."  
  
She backed even further down the stairs. "Like what?"  
  
He strode forward a couple of steps. "Come now, don't be so afraid. I have given you the ultimate gift. Eternity."  
  
"What? What do you mean by 'eternity'?"  
  
Valor smiled, lowering a set of cleanly polished fangs from the upper corners of his mouth. "I have made you immortal. A vampire if you will."  
  
Her eyes widened. "You did what?"  
  
She backed up even more as Valor followed her down the stairs.  
  
"Yes, I embraced you. You are now a vampire."  
  
"No," she shook her head, backing into the wall. "That cannot be. Vampires do not exist."  
  
"Oh but we do exist. Bare your fangs. It will take a little concentration at first, but you should get used to it after a while."  
  
Amanda concentrated and opened her mouth, slowly raising her index finger up. As Valor had claimed, two pointed teeth had lowered into place. She jerked with a quick shriek, pricking her finger on the tooth, gashing it open. Valor laughed and walked closer.  
  
"Silly childe. You may close wounds caused by your fangs with a mere lick of your tongue."  
  
Amanda licked her finger, watching in horrid amazement as the gaping wound sealed up, almost as if by magic. She looked up at Valor, who now was laughing, and glared sharply at him.  
  
"Why the hell did you have to do this to me?"  
  
"I was but granting your wish. I gave you the time to perfect your singing voice."  
  
"And you think that was doing me a favor? You pompous asshole! I liked my life. I liked the sun! I have boyfriend. How the hell am I supposed to explain this to him?"  
  
"Oh, you can't do that. The prince of the city shall have a monstrous fit. Rule number one, my dear: never tell the mortals of our existence," he curtly smiled at her. "You may as well call him and finalize your breakup tonight. Besides, it will give you even more time each night to practice."  
  
"You just don't get it do you? You are a fucking idiotic asshole!" she screamed, flailing her arms at him. "I'm not giving up my old life just because you tell me to!"  
  
"Oh but you are my dear. Now calm down, you're going to give yourself a fit if you don't stop."  
  
"Oh shut the fuck up," she shot out at him. "I never asked for you advice. I never asked for your hospitality and I most certainly never asked you for your damn immortality!"  
  
Amanda in an almost unnatural hurry, turned and shot out the door. Valor tried chasing after but before he made it out onto the porch, she was already halfway down the block. He slowly walked back inside over to the coat rack situated just inside the door and picked up two jackets.  
  
"Well, I guess I should brace for impact."  
  
* * *  
  
Jon raced with Beth to her room, snagging the key out of her pocket. After a second of fumbling with the lock, flung the door open, racing inside and slamming shut behind him. He carefully waded through the mess of clothes and pizza boxes that cluttered the floor over to Beth's bed, where he gently laid her down.  
  
"What the fuck happened, Jon?" she whined. "Damn that fucking hurts!"  
  
"You've been shot," he calmly said as he bent down to examine the wound on her leg.  
  
"Should we call an ambulance?" she whimpered.  
  
"Yeah, and tell them what? That we were kidnapped by mobsters who have a secret base under the cemetery? They shot at us when we escaped? The paramedics and the cops would think we're fucking nuts." Jon muttered. "Hell, I'm starting to think that we've lost it."  
  
In the low light, Jon's eyes focused on the entry wound near Beth's ankle. Sure enough, there was blood flowing out dark and thick. Jon picked up a white cover and tied it around her ankle.  
  
"This should slow the bleeding till the mobsters decide to leave us alone. Then maybe we can find Dimitry and see if he can help us."  
  
"Who the fuck is Dimitry?"  
  
"He's some man that spoke to me while we were unconscious. He told me how we could escape."  
  
Beth shot a quizzical glance at Jon. "And you're telling me that I should seek medical help because of a bizarre story? You're fucking looney. Next you'll be telling me that you have magical powers."  
  
"I do."  
  
"Riighht… just turn on the light I want to see how bad it looks."  
  
Jon stumbled back over to the door, quickly flicking the light switch on before returning to sit down nearby Beth on the bed. Beth sat up, drawing her wounded leg up near her.  
  
"Um, Jon… do you see what I see?"  
  
Jon looked at the cloth wrapped tightly around her ankle. "Uh, yeah… I think so."  
  
"So tell me. In all your medical experience… is my blood actually supposed to be green?"  
  
"No. Definitely not. Unless you have some fucked up fungal infection."  
  
Beth jumped to her feet, wincing as she landed. She strode over to her desk, fumbling through papers and piles upon piles of photos. "We need to call for help. This is too scary."  
  
Just as she found the phone, which was situated under a pile of papers, she pulled on a paper, which started a chain reaction. Everything on her desk started moving, sliding in every direction. Folders careened off the desk as a papers flew everywhere. Startled, Beth dove, trying to catch as many things as she could before they hit the ground. As she dove forward, a statuette slipped off one of the shelves and started to fall. Dropping everything, Beth miraculously caught the statue squarely in the palms of her hands.  
  
"Whew," she sighed in satisfaction. "That was my grandmother's. It would have sucked so much if it broke."  
  
Jon nodded as Beth stared contently at the statuette. It was the same wooden cat statue her grandmother had given her as a child, though now it seemed different than in previous times she had looked at it. It looked newer, a fresh scent of mahogany wafted across her nose. The glass eyes of the cat seemed to glow brilliantly yellow, almost like well-polished topaz.  
  
"I never realized how beautiful this statue is," Beth said gazing deeply at the statue.  
  
She waited for Jon to respond coarsely, shooting some snide remark. No response. "Jon?" she looked up. She was no longer sitting in the blue padded rocking chair in her dorm room. Now she was kneeling in a vibrant endless forest that stretched in all directions as far as they eye could see. A gentle breeze flitted through the branches overhead. Beth gazed back at the statue; it now was a hewn stone cat. Its eyes gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight that filtered through the canopy. Though now it rested in what seemed like her hands, but it was a coarse brown.  
  
Gasping, she dropped the statue onto the floor. She tried to look at the rest of herself. Her skin was the exact same shade of mottled brown, applied in an almost vertical pattern. Though her clothes were no longer the usual pair of pajama bottoms and a t-shirt, they were a thick carpet of green oak leaves that almost seemed to mesh with her body. She blinked.  
  
"Hello?" Beth asked, standing back up. "Anybody here?"  
  
She leaned against a nearby tree and sighed. She had no clue where she was, and she was definitely sure she was not going to be leaving anytime soon. The breeze lifted some leaves off the forest floor and swirled them, quickly weaving between tree trunks. Beth looked up and gasped in amazement. Slowly at first, she noticed a figure start to emerge from a tree. An arm slowly snaked its way past the outer layer of bark. Then a shoulder and a leg emerged until a person, who looked just like Beth had appeared out of the tree.  
  
"Hello Beth," he smiled as he slowly walked over to her side, enveloping her in his arms. "You're back."  
  
"Uh… yeah," she stared into his eyes. "Right. I'm back. From where?"  
  
"Your long slumber. We were almost certain that banality had taken you and your anchor forever."  
  
"Wha?"  
  
"Oh dear…" he sighed. "I guess the mists of time have fogged your mind. Let me explain. About two hundred years ago, you succumbed to banality – err – mundanity because someone severely damaged the tree your spirit is tied to. Most Kuberas like you would usually retire to their anchor and sleep – in most cases for eternity – or until the flow of glamour is strong enough to reawaken. You, on the other hand, slipped back into a husk and wandered, completely unaware of your legacy. Finally enough glamour has permeated into your seeming to reawaken you."  
  
"Right…" Beth incredulously glared back. "Alright… where the fuck are you, Dave?"  
  
"Dave? Who is he?"  
  
"You know Dave. The guy that lives on the third floor of Batchelder. If he didn't do this, then who did?" she sighed.  
  
"I don't know of any Dave that lives on the third floor of Batchelder. Though I can see a friend of yours. He's tall, has dark hair, and has glasses."  
  
"Does he have a dumb look on his face?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"That's Dave. What did you do with him, ya fuck?"  
  
"Oh nothing. I can see that he's in a lot of danger."  
  
"Well thank you Sherlock Holmes… I could've told you that," she huffed. "Where is he?"  
  
He sat down and looking up at Beth, smiling nonchalantly. With a flick of the wrist as small, thick twig materialized in his hand. "Your friend," he said as he started to sketch in the dirt. "Is here. Though you need to find another way in. This way is locked tight and heavily guarded by a demon."  
  
"The graveyard?!?"  
  
"Of course," he smirked. "It's not like you didn't expect to find him there."  
  
She nodded. "So how am I supposed to save him?"  
  
"That's the simple part. Look inside yourself – all the potential you need lies within your soul. It's all a matter of opening yourself up to the true potential."  
  
Beth closed her eyes and started to concentrate. "I can't feel it…"  
  
"Concentrate. Don't whine that you don't feel it. Open yourself to the glamour. It's the purest energy of all creation."  
  
At first Beth felt it – a small shiver that started in the nape of her neck. Slowly it spread down her back as smaller wisps of energy forked out down her arms and legs.  
  
"That's it!" he cheered. "Now focus it."  
  
Beth tensed up as she felt the energy drain from her body down through her feet. She opened her eyes to see if anything had happened. Spread all about her feet sprouted full-grown wildflowers, gently bending in the breeze.  
  
"Whoa."  
  
"Now you have the knack. By the way, you can do far more than make things grow, if I remember correctly. Your power should come to you with more practice."  
  
Beth smiled and wrapped her arms around her teacher. "Thanks."  
  
"It's no problem, now go save Dave before it's too late. That boy has a mighty legacy to live up to."  
  
"Don't worry," Beth shouted as her figure started glowing a bright green and faded from sight.  
  
She blinked and was back in her dorm room, sitting on the bed next to Jon. He had been rapidly shaking her, trying to bring her back to consciousness. "Beth, Beth, wake up! You okay?"  
  
Beth chuckled. "Of course I am, ya freak! Just got back from a little one-on-one with my soul."  
  
"Right…" Jon nodded. "And what did you find out?"  
  
"I know where Dave is," she said, standing up and placing the figurine back on the shelf.  
  
"Where is he?"  
  
"C'mon, I'll tell you on the way. We need to find the others."  
  
* * *  
  
Amanda had been running for almost five minutes when she stopped and looked around. Now she was standing right next to the college's administration building. From Valor's house, which was on the southernmost area of Bowling Green, she had reached campus – almost an entire hour walk. Exhausted, she sat down on the steps, sighing. She definitely didn't want to go back to Valor. Even for a vampire, Valor was extremely creepy. The moon filtered through the rustling leaves, casting the entire area in spotted shadows.  
  
"What the hell have I gotten myself into this time?" she sighed, drooping her head. "There is absolutely no way anybody will understand- "  
  
She suddenly was interrupted by the faintest sound of someone racing down a nearby sidewalk. Her eyes scanned the grassy areas surrounding the buildings. Over across the way by University Hall – almost one hundred feet away, someone had just come through the arches that shelter a breezeway between buildings. In the low light, Amanda couldn't make out who it was, but even from this distance, she could tell he definitely was frightened.  
  
With an almost preternatural speed, he raced up the sidewalk and was within viewing in a matter of seconds. Amanda recognized the stranger – it was Adam.  
  
"Adam!" she called out.  
  
The figure stopped, looked around nervously, and then raced over to Amanda's side. His face nervously twitched as he eyes constantly scanned the area. He seemed… different. Not only were his clothes caked in a foul smelling, yet still strangely appetizing red liquid; but he seemed far paler than normal.  
  
"What are you doing out so late?" Adam snapped.  
  
"I… well, I was…" Amanda stuttered. "I was just getting back from a walk through town. What are you doing and why do you smell so bad?"  
  
The branches stirred with the breeze as several squirrels skittered up trees. "I… was…"  
  
Go on… Adam heard from a nearby bush. Tell her you killed someone. I saw you do it.  
  
Adam shrugged, glancing over at the bushes. "I was out walking when I – "  
  
Sank your fangs into an innocent college student and drained him of his blood.  
  
"Shut up, I did not! Who said that?" Adam abruptly turned to the bush, shouting.  
  
"Adam, calm down. What didn't you do? Who said what?" Amanda placed a hand on his shoulder.  
  
Adam jerked away, "I don't need your pity."  
  
A squirrel scampered out from the bush he had heard voices and sat, staring up at Adam. I saw you kill a man. You drank his blood.  
  
Adam jumped back and looked at Amanda. "Can you hear that?"  
  
"Hear what? The leaves or the annoying chittering of that squirrel?"  
  
"The squirrel," Adam said. "Though can't you hear him? He's saying words."  
  
"Riiight…" Amanda said, stepping further away. "What's the squirrel saying?"  
  
"He says that…" Adam started. "He is saying that I –"  
  
Go on… tell her, I promise you'll feel better in doing so.  
  
"Shut the fuck up squirrel!" Adam lashed out at the squirrel, baring his fangs.  
  
The animal darted away quickly back into the bushes, across a patch of grass, and then up the nearest tree.  
  
"You're… you're a vampire, aren't you?"  
  
"Huh? How did you know?"  
  
"Because of your fangs, ya git," a voice caked in a thick British accent echoed through the courtyard just behind them.  
  
Both turned around to see a stout man dressed in leather biker's clothes approach. Adam and Amanda knew that they were no match for this man. Slowly, the man confidently walked forward. Adam stepped in front of Amanda getting a brazen look settle over his face. Regardless, the man continued to approach. When he was about three feet from Adam, he stopped and stared at the two.  
  
"What do you want?" Adam said.  
  
"You two are coming with me," he sternly replied. "You two get to choose how it will be accomplished."  
  
"Tell us first who you are."  
  
"I'm Adrian," the prince has sent me to retrieve the two new whelps that apparently are causing massive breaches of the Masquerade.  
  
Adam turned to Amanda. "Do you know of any such 'prince'?"  
  
Amanda shrugged. "I didn't think Bowling Green had a prince."  
  
Adrian sighed. "I can tell this will need some explaining. Sit down and keep quiet."  
  
Adam and Amanda curtly obeyed, sitting down on the steps behind them. Adrian followed and sat down between them. He looked around, once satisfied that they were alone, he began.  
  
"You see, you two aren't the first vampires to have ever existed. I'd have hoped you two would have known that."  
  
Both nodded in agreement.  
  
"Good. Now since the early days, us vampires – or should I say Cainites have tried to hide from mortal eyes. Now before you start down the road of 'what's a Cainite, I'll explain. You see, according to legend – which I wholly agree as being just a legend – Caine, the biblical brother of Abel, was the first vampire. God was not terribly happy with him for killing his brother, thus cast him out, making him a vampire."  
  
"Wait a minute," Amanda started.  
  
"Mind you now, this is just hearsay. Nothing more," Adrian scoffed. "But anyway, since those times, we learned that it was best we hide what we truly are from the humans. Now those hoity-toity vampires known as the Ventrue decided to form a group called the Camarilla. They like to think they rule over us and control our every movement. They'd just as soon tell you when you feed, when you embrace new vampires, and so on… bunch of worthless blue bloods. Never mind that. We're late. We must be making it to Elysium. He is expecting you."  
  
"What?" Adam asked. "Or who is expecting us?"  
  
"Damon Verbose. The vampire Prince of Bowling Green."  
  
"Ahh…"  
  
"Still not got the hang of it, have you?" Adrian elbowed Adam in the ribs. "It's okay. From my information, not many of your clan is terribly fond of the Camarilla. Let's go."  
  
They stood up and started walking back towards town, Amanda slowly lagging behind the group. Adrian turned and waved her forward.  
  
"C'mon… hurry up," he insistently waved.  
  
Amanda scurried up beside him.  
  
"What's the problem, lass?"  
  
"How did you know we were here?"  
  
"Ah. That's an easy one. Your sire, Sir Valor told us that you had run off. Being the Sheriff appointed by the Prince, I was sent to retrieve you… by force if necessary."  
  
Amanda gulped and followed him.  
  
* * *  
  
Adrian led Adam and Amanda up the front steps of Bowling Green's City Hall. He had seemed quiet as he approached the door. Though, as soon as he got to the top of the steps, with a quick flick of his wrists, opened the door, ushering the two inside. All around them, Adam and Amanda saw a group of about twenty, all of which they could only presume to be vampires. Adrian shut the door behind him and continued walking through the crowd and up the stairs.  
  
"Come now, it's rude to keep the prince waiting," Adrian smugly said. "Afterwards you can feel free to mingle… if you want. Though watch out for the Malkavians – they're bloody crazy."  
  
Amanda audibly gulped at Adrian's words. They walked up the white tiled steps to the second floor, where Adrian approached a set of double doors. Immediately he opened the door and walked in. Both cautiously followed behind Adrian into a grandiose antechamber. At the far end of the room, sat a rather statuesque man in an antique chair placed at the head of a rather large table. All around the table sat several other people, one Amanda recognized as her sire, Valor. As they approached, the man at the head of the table seemed to take little notice in their approach. Instead, he sat patiently, occasionally reaching up to smooth a wrinkle in his coat. The others smiled and nodded as they approached. Valor even snuck in a small, polite wave at Amanda. Adrian immediately bowed as he reached the man's chair. Amanda shrugged and mimicked Adrian as Adam stood staring.  
  
"I have brought them, Sir Verbose."  
  
"Most excellent," he dryly replied. "That will be all for now."  
  
Adrian turned and slowly started walking away. Damon glanced over the both of them, before motioning to a couple of empty chairs situated nearby. Both quickly sat down and resumed staring awkwardly back up at him.  
  
"So you are the new whelps of the city?" he asked.  
  
"That's right," Amanda softly spoke up for herself.  
  
"Ah yes… the new childe of Valor," he curtly smiled, looking over at Valor. "She seems to… almost… measure up to the standards of your clan."  
  
Valor politely nodded. "Though she still does need a bit more work on her willingness to listen to directions."  
  
"Hey you pompous buffoon! I – " Amanda abruptly stood up.  
  
"Sit down, childe," Damon harshly spoke staring her directly in the eyes. "You are not to speak out of turn while in my court. Is that understood? If it is not, I can make sure you won't survive another night to -"  
  
"Lay of my sister!" Adam jumped to his feet.  
  
"Ah yes… the other new mortal to meet the embrace of clan Gangrel. I'll excuse this incursion upon my dictum just this once. Now both of you sit down or you shall greet the sunrise."  
  
Both abruptly followed orders and sat back down.  
  
"Now, what is your name, boy?"  
  
"I'm Adam… why?"  
  
"Well, Adam, I'm going to give it to you straight. The Gangrel are not of the Camarilla. Well, they used to be, but the damn bastards are fleeing the sanctum of our society like rats fleeing a sinking ship."  
  
Adam nodded.  
  
"We're not sure why this is, but from our resources, they make mention of something to the extent of their elders rising up and trying to destroy them. A bunch of foolishness, it is, but if you want, you may join the Camarilla. We have need of someone of your clan's caliber."  
  
"That sounds good for the time being," Adam replied. "What can I do for you?"  
  
"Well, as you can see Adrian is but only one person. He requires an assistant to help patrol the city for vampires who pose a threat to our Masquerade," he smugly continued. "We pride ourselves in being able to subtly influencing mortals from a distance. There is a sect of vampires known as the Sabbat. They are our enemies. They openly admit they are vampires, thus calling down forces that seek to hunt us down and destroy us."  
  
"I think I can do that."  
  
"Good, now begone with you. We have matters to attend to that are not of your concern."  
  
Adam and Amanda excused themselves, walking past the others to where Adrian was patiently sitting. He stood up, opened the door and walked back out into the foyer with them.  
  
"Who were those people?" Amanda asked.  
  
"They are the Primogen. They're a select group of vampires – precisely one from each clan that is responsible for representing the clan's need within the city. If you got a problem… go see your Primogen. I'd advise you two to go get some rest. You've had a big evening. Tomorrow night you should get your affairs in line and then Adam needs to come see me to report for duty."  
  
Adam and Amanda nodded, turned and started to walk towards the door. The crowd seemed to part as they passed, allowing them through. Amanda looked at Adam and sighed.  
  
"What's the matter, Goob?"  
  
"How are we going to explain this to mom and dad?"  
  
He shrugged. "I don't know. Though on the plus side, we got forever to think up an excuse."  
  
Amanda barely could suppress a giggle as they opened the door and walked out into the night.  
  
* * *  
  
Neek hustled down the sidewalk. After a couple of hours learning some of the fundamentals behind Latin and Necromancy, she decided she should go out and look for her friends. Sister Augustine had told her to look at the City Hall. She wasn't quite sure why anyone she knew would be there, especially at this hour, but so far the nun seemed to be quite knowledgeable. Slowly she paced down the sidewalk and rounded the corner. Several hundred feet ahead of her stood the illuminated silhouette of City Hall, nestled behind a couple houses.  
  
Hurrying, she darted across the intersection and turned right, proceeding up the sidewalk towards the building. Just as she neared the front doors, they opened. Out stepped Adam and Amanda lightly chuckling.  
  
"Oh, hi," Neek smiled.  
  
"Hey Neek," Adam replied. "So… what are you going into the courthouse for?"  
  
"I wasn't. Sister Augustine, you know… the nun I was talking about yesterday told me to find you guys here."  
  
"Oh. How'd that go?"  
  
"Not so good. She says that Bowling Green is in danger as is Dave. She also told me about vampires… shortly before making me one," she shrugged.  
  
"Wait… you're a vampire?" Amanda asked.  
  
"Yep. I know it sounds like a bunch of mumbo jumbo, but it's true…" she sighed, revealing her fangs.  
  
"Well, whaddaya know…" Adam laughed. "Small world, eh? The two of us are vampires. But that can wait. What did she say about Dave?"  
  
"Not much. She said that he could be in the hands of some wicked vampire group… I forget their name. But they're here to throw everything out of whack."  
  
"Looks like we have a duty to perform… though I think we should get some more help," Adam said. "Only problem is that mortal authorities would sooner lock us up in the looney bin than help us."  
  
"Well, we could recruit Talcott. He says he's a fairy now."  
  
"You mean like – "  
  
"No, of course not… at least that's what he says. I'm still quite suspicious. Anyway, I think we should go find him then we can go in search of Dave."  
  
They abruptly turned towards campus and started walking as fast as they could.  
  
* * *  
  
Jon and Beth raced across the Kreischer dormitory towards Darrow, the honors student wing. They stopped at the doors while Jon concentrated for a moment, then unlocking the doors' electronic locks letting them inside. Jon led the way up a couple flights of stairs to the fourth floor. Turning right, they tore down the hallway until they came to a stop at a door. Beth knocked.  
  
"Dammit Talcott, open up!" she shouted.  
  
A couple seconds later, the lock clicked and the door swung open. Talcott blinked and looked straight at Beth. Both noticed their odd appearances. Beth jumped back a couple steps, knocking Jon into the wall behind them.  
  
"Beth, I… I didn't know."  
  
"Neither did I Talcott."  
  
"Well, come on in… I insist," he ushered the two inside, closing the door behind him. "Can I get you anything?"  
  
Jon shook his head. "I'm okay."  
  
"Me too."  
  
"Alright then," Talcott sat down in the rocking chair by his computer. "What brings you two all the way over here to Darrow Hall?"  
  
"Well, first one thing," Beth said. "So how long have you known you've been a fairy?"  
  
Talcott sighed. "Since yesterday… but I prefer to be called a changeling."  
  
"Riight. Same here. Jon's just come into some powers also."  
  
"That's quite strange," Talcott commented. "So… now what are you here for?"  
  
"We were just wondering if you've seen Adam or Amanda or anybody around lately."  
  
"Actually, I haven't. I lost track of Neek last night when she went to the schoolhouse to talk with that nun."  
  
"What?" Beth smirked.  
  
"It's a long story. But that was the last person I've come in contact with that you'd be referring to," he said. "So why do you need to find them."  
  
"We know where Dave is," Jon blurted. "We're forming a rescue party to go in and get him."  
  
Talcott scratched his head. "Wait… why do you need a rescue party? Can't you just walk in there and pull him out?"  
  
Beth shook her head. "Nope. He's guarded by a demon and some vampires."  
  
Talcott shuddered. "Ick. Well, I guess I'll help you out. When are we leaving?"  
  
Beth stood up and walked over to the door. "As soon as we find Adam, Amanda, and Neek."  
  
Beth turned the doorknob, opening the door. "Let's go."  
  
As she flung open the door, Beth saw Adam and company come racing down the hall. She smiled and raced up to Adam and flung her arms around him.  
  
"Where have you been, you big idiot?" she smiled. "Same for you, Amanda. We've been worried!"  
  
"Oh no place in specific," Amanda shyly smiled. "Just out becoming vampires."  
  
"You what?" she jumped back. "Are you helping out that bad vampire that has Dave?"  
  
"Bad vampire? Dave?" Adam sputtered. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"There's a vampire in the graveyard. Someone… thing told me that he has Dave, but he's being guarded by this vampire and a demon."  
  
"That could be the vampire that Sister Augustine was talking about," Neek interjected. "If that's true, then we must stop him before he does anything else rash."  
  
"Well, then what are we waiting for?" Beth shouted. "Let's get prepared then meet outside to go save Dave!"  
  
* * *  
  
Amanda, Adam, Neek, Talcott, Beth and Jon quickly raced towards the entrance of the graveyard, each one carrying whatever weapon they could muster up at the last moment. Everyone seemed incredibly nervous, not really knowing what to expect. The air was dry, almost musty as they all struggled to breath. They passed under the wrought-iron archway into the graveyard and stopped.  
  
"Alright," Jon asked. "Where is he?"  
  
"The map I saw pointed towards the small mausoleum. But they say that's locked up tight. There must be another way in."  
  
As they nodded in agreement, the ground started shaking. Furrows of earth were pushed aside as skeletons rose up from the ground. Leaping into action, Adam took one good kick at the group, sending a couple shattering onto the pavement behind them. The skeletons shambled forward. Beth concentrated, feeling the glamour pulsing through her body. Something cold seemed to be dulling it, but still, she concentrated. The grass rose up from around the skeletons' feet, ensnaring them in thick, green vines.  
  
Jon squinted his eyes and looked towards the center of the graveyard. From this distance he could almost make out a figure. He seemed to be motioning towards the ground as the skeletons struggled to move onward.  
  
"That's the man!" Jon shouted. "We need to kill him!"  
  
The group raced towards the tool shed. The shadowy figure noticed their approach and raised his arms in the air. For a moment, the air seemed to almost whistle as it took on life. Quickly a plume of smoke encircled him while the area around him started glowing a bright magenta. Out of the tool shed, three men dashed to the side of the figure. Just as they made it to the man, the smoke parted. The shadowy man no longer stood before them. Before them stood a roughly seven foot tall red demon that sprouted ragged, twisting goat horns.  
  
Jon felt the energies flow through him, concentrating on the Swiss army knife he held in his hand; he took aim and threw it. The blade connected solidly with one of the men's foreheads, dropping him in a coup de grace. Adam leapt at the demon while Amanda raced forward at full speed, connecting several small distracting punches. Jon raced forward and pulled the knife out of his forehead, then reached into his pocket, pulling out his gun.  
  
"Take it," Jon shouted to Beth, tossing the gun at her.  
  
She nervously juggled the weapon back and forth, trying to get a grasp on the weapon. One of the men in trench coats fired off a couple of rounds, which connected with Adam, sending him flying backwards from the impact. Redoubled, Adam hissed at the men, while talons sprouted from his fingertips. He raked them across one of their faces, killing him in a single blow. By now the demon had batted Amanda away with a single powerful blow with his forearm. Talcott concentrated, letting the glamour surge through his body. Within seconds, he had transformed into his fae seeming, lashing out with a beautifully burnished sword.  
  
Neek raced over to the remaining lackey, placed her hands on him. The man's eyes widened as he gasped and tried to struggle out of her grasp. She closed her eyes and muttered something silently in Latin. With a gut- wrenching scream, the man fell over. She let go, dusted her hands off and ran off to focus her attention on the demon rampaging . Amanda continued to circle it, landing multiple punches while Adam raked at its hide with his claws. Beth's gunshots echoed all around them as she swore impatiently at her inaccuracy. The demon reared up with a loud howl that split the night and sent shivers down everyone's spines. Finally with a guttural shout Jon launched himself on the demon's back, sinking the blade into its spine. It fell forwards, slumping down into the ground and slowly started dissolving into dust. After it had completely dissipated, they looked around.  
  
"Well, the tough part's over," Jon said, looking down at the imprint left in the ground. "Now to find Dave."  
  
"I have a feeling that we can find a way to him through the tool shed," Talcott said, standing up from a small scrawling of randomized lines in the dirt.  
  
Everyone piled in the old shack, where Jon and Beth led the way down the steps into the chamber where they were held.  
  
"Spread out. Who knows where the secret passage may be," Adam said.  
  
Neek walked over to the table and looked over the contents poured out over the surface. She gasped as she saw a small leather-bound tome situated among some random newspapers.  
  
"Hey, I think I found the man's journal," she said, picking up the volume. "Maybe it will tell us why he kidnapped Dave and more precisely if there is a hidden passage to him."  
  
Neek sat down and flipped open the cover and started reading. Jon had already sat down and started to meditate. Beth looked at him and sighed.  
  
"More of his mystical mumbo-jumbo."  
  
In Jon's mind, he had zoomed out, forming a mental picture of the room. All around him he sensed solid space outside the walls of the room. He concentrated harder. He then found something: a small hallway leading off towards the south about five feet back into the corridor. Abruptly, he broke out of his trance, stood up and walked back out into the hallway. Everybody looked at him, and then quickly followed behind.  
  
"I think there's some sort of secret hallway," he began lightly tapping at the wall. "Right… about…. here."  
  
As his hand passed over a section of the wall, it did sound quite hollow. He stepped back and turned to Adam.  
  
"Hit here… as hard as you can."  
  
Adam slashed again with his claws and the wall gave away, revealing a dank, dark tunnel leading onward. Talcott chanted a small rhyme, almost inaudible to himself and the tunnel lit up. They followed it around a turn, and then it started to incline a bit. After a minute of walking, they came to a room. Inside was almost a small cell, in which shackled to the wall was Dave.  
  
"Dave!" Beth shouted as she flung open the doors.  
  
He seemed different. Not only did he seem incredibly lighter, but he seemed to radiate an almost peaceful aura. Beth shook him, but Dave still didn't wake. Nervously, she turned to the group.  
  
"He won't wake up."  
  
"Well, my senses tell me that he's still alive," Jon replied.  
  
"Maybe he's hurt," Adam said. "I suppose we should get him back to his room. Maybe some rest will do him good."  
  
Everybody nodded as they tore the chains from the wall and carried Dave out of the tunnels. 


End file.
